


To begin again

by LittleWolf95



Category: My Little Pony: Equestria Girls
Genre: Bullying, F/F, F/M, Healing, Mental Health Issues, Past Child Abuse, Self-Harm, Self-Hatred, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-28
Updated: 2018-06-22
Packaged: 2019-04-13 23:54:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 28
Words: 27,364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14123601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleWolf95/pseuds/LittleWolf95
Summary: After the fall formal there was a broken Sunset Shimmer.Sunset Shimmer's life was turned upside down in an instant, leaving her not only to battle her inner demons but to also try to make amends but it isn't easy to forgive or forget when someone has hurt you and it seems only a few at Canterlot High are willing to even try to see the good in her. Will the few friends she has be enough to stop her from doing something rash?





	1. Chapter 1

She remembered the negativity that filled her thoughts as soon as the crown touched her as if it was reminding her of all the mistakes that she had made in her life. The memories replayed in her mind like a movie she couldn't turn off as an icy hot feeling engulfed her whole body.

She wished it was just a dream, but it wasn't and she had to live with the outcome, especially the biting pain she felt in her back and the dull ache in every muscle in her body. Not to mention facing the school itself  _but_ _ **that**_  could wait until Monday. At least, where the rest of the student body was concerned.

Right now she had a wall to at least help repair the front wall, which was what she had been doing just minutes prior but the pain in her back had become too much. She just hoped her break didn't tick off someone, Luna in particular.

"You know you wouldn't sweat so much if you took off your jacket."

Sunset nearly fell off the stack of bricks she was sitting on, although to her surprise the tall, dark-skinned woman handed her a bag from a local deli.

"I was wondering when you'd take a break. You have been working since nine o'clock this morning but the construction crew will do the majority of the work on Monday." the woman stated, not giving the girl time to respond before she walked back toward the school and leaving Sunset sitting there with her thoughts.

She knew this was being written off as a gas line explosion but she also knew that most if not all of the students of Canterlot High knew the truth, knew about the raging demon that had threatened to not only use them as her personal army but nearly killed six others.

The thought alone made her stomach churn and she was glad that the outcome had left physical reminders behind because she deserved it. She deserved the sleepless nights, that if the previous night had indicated would be a common thing and she deserved the hatred and pain she felt as she stood alone, her own so-called friends glaring over at her with disgust written on their faces.

"What do you plan to do about the little brat?"

Luna asked, leaning against the wall inside her sister's office as she tried to get the image of the girl out of her mind's eye. She didn't want to forgive the girl, not after what had happened over the course of three years but seeing anyone look so lost tugged at her heart a little.

"What do you suggest? We can't possibly get the authorities involved." Celestia responded, arching a brow as she looked up from her computer. Luna glared back before letting out a breath and moved to the window, looking out to only see the girl in question still seated, face buried in her hands.

"Since we can't possibly explain how one kid caused that much damage and no one would believe the truth, I suggest we make her work off the expense the school board is going to be out of repairing that field and wall. Besides, I think we need to figure out the full story. Don't even pretend you didn't notice a girl walking through a statue last night."

Celestia sighed and nodded, pinching the bridge of her nose before speaking "I took a look at her paperwork. Her home address is in those rundown apartments owned by Filthy Rich so I decided to make a few phone calls and everyone says they never see anyone other than Sunset coming or going from her place."

Luna turned her attention back toward her sister then, eyes narrowing.

"So the contact information she put on her enrollment forms was fake?" she asked, earning a negative shake of the head in response.

"Not exactly. Take a look at this." Celestia responded, motioning to the laptop in front of her and moving to the side so Luna could see the screen easily.

"Sunspot and Solar Wind...as well as their daughter...was killed in a car crash five years ago." she pointed out, causing Luna's eyes to widen as she read the article.

"Okay, that is just creepy." the younger woman commented, earning a sigh from Celestia who clicked on another tab, pulling up a post on Crystal Prep's school website, one that showed a photo of a girl who looked almost exactly like the girl they had watched pull Sunset out of the crater the previous night.

"What the hell is going on?"

Luna felt as if she was going crazy, or seeing double. Both the girl who had vanished through the statue and Sunset Shimmer looked nearly identical to the girls in the pictures on the screen. One being supposedly deceased.

"You need to ask Sunset that. She barely can manage to meet my gaze it seems and you can forget about holding a conversation."

Celestia answered with a sigh, only to feel her sister's hand squeeze her shoulder gently.

"Celestia you focus on trying to figure out what we're going to do about this mess. I'll try to get Sunset to talk."

"You have to eat. No one wants you to pass out while working." Luna's voice said from right beside of her, causing the sixteen-year-old to nearly jump out of her skin.

_How can someone move that quietly? She's like a freaking cat!_  Sunset thought as she saw the rather amused look on Luna's face.  _Correction, she's like that creepy cat in that children's movie Flash's little cousin made us watch with her._

"Sorry, I guess I'm just not very hungry." Sunset responded earning a light glare in response.

"Sunset Shimmer, no matter how badly you are feeling or how bad things seem you shouldn't just starve yourself." Luna stated, causing Sunset to flinch as if she had been struck.

"Yes, Ma'am."

Luna sighed, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder. She knew that most students feared her to some extent but seeing Sunset's reaction bothered her for some reason. She didn't know why she felt compelled to try to comfort the former troublemaker but seeing her like this almost made her want to give the girl a chance– _almost_.

"Miss. Shimmer, Things may seem horrible currently but things will eventually get better after all nothing lasts forever, not even hard times." she said, noticing how Sunset's expression changed from neutral to sour to broken in a matter of seconds.

"No one is just going to forget what I did! I...was a monster."

Putting her face into her hands again Sunset tried to hold back her tears, only feeling the hand leave her shoulder.

_No one will ever forgive me. No one will ever believe I want to change._

Suddenly she felt someone moving her hands away from her face, causing her to look up. Luna, who seemed to always be neutral or even aloof was kneeling down in front of her, her expression stern although her eyes were soft.

"You're right, you did terrible things and people won't forget however forgiveness can be earned, even if people can't forget." the woman responded and Sunset found it impossible to keep her tears at bay then.

"But I almost….I could have killed someone! I never meant to...go that far!"

She sobbed, wrapping her arms around herself as if to keep herself from physically falling apart. Luna sat there numb for a few minutes, unsure of what to do. One part of her wanted to remain formal while the other remembered another person long ago who had felt the same way.

"Sunset Shimmer," she spoke with authority despite the fact that she put her hands on the fiery-haired teen's shoulders "you need to prove you never wanted that. Prove to everyone that you are more than that self-centered brat that ruled the school or the demon that ruined the dance."

Luna knew she was being harsh but she didn't pull any punches, despite how hard the truth was to swallow. She gave Sunset a few minutes to absorb what she had said before she added, her voice softening some

"Celestia and I both believe you have it in you. It won't be easy but you can do it."

Luna didn't expect the teen to suddenly hug her, crying on her shoulder. This probably broke some rule, written or otherwise and it definitely wasn't something Luna used to but she didn't push her away.

_If Celestia is right then this girl has probably been alone for years._

She thought as she wrapped an arm around the girls lower back, feeling her stiffen before relaxing once again.

_I guess trying things Celestia's way won't hurt anything once in a while._


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: everything belongs to Hasbro. I'm just playing with the characters.**

"So you have been living on your own since you came here?" Celestia asked, causing Sunset to wince slightly since she was sitting beside of the aurora haired woman.

"Yeah, I had the money and I was underhanded enough to figure out how to use the computers at the public library to find someone who could make it seem like I belonged in this world. plus it helped that gold and gems cost a fortune here so I never was without food."

Sunset explained though she wouldn't admit that she did have trouble finding a place to stay until she stumbled across Filthy Rich who was more than willing to let her rent and overlook the fact she had no caretakers, as long as she kept the rent paid. She didn't want to give them any more reason to call child services.

"That's not the did you do when you weren't in school?" Luna commented, leaning against the desk with her arms folded across her chest.

"I…" Sunset began but got lost in thought "Well...I played guitar and video games." she answered, earning a surprised look from Luna.

"You actually let Flash teach you how to play guitar?" the dark-haired woman asked, watching as the teen blushed and nodded.

"I Wasn't  _that_ bad all the time," Sunset muttered, earning a scoff from the vice principal

"Can't prove that by me. You were always an egomaniac with a bad temper."

Celestia glared at her sister as the girl shrunk down a bit in the seat, though Luna only smirked.

"But I suppose Flash had to see something in you that others didn't. He isn't one to play with people's emotions," she added, trying to take the sting out of her words.

"No, you're right. My ego is... _was_  huge. Ever since I actually  _ **won**_  something I let it go to my head and then I…" Sunset began though she trailed off as she choked back emotion once again as her conscience formed the words  _just like you did when you were Princess Celestia's student._

"Yes, you did. But that is the past, you just have to make sure you don't go back down the same path." Luna responded, rolling her eyes at the look her sister was sending her. it wasn't like she was trying to make the teen cry on purpose!

"How? Seems like every time I get something right I fuck it up."

"Yes well...That's because you need to find a better angle to go at it. Trying to rule a whole army of teenagers or being a jerk isn't the best ways to go about anything," Luna began, pausing to figure out how exactly to word the next part "Start small. Try to help out when you can. Show people you have changed and slowly they will begin to trust you have."

Sunset was beyond relieved when she was released to go back to work. She didn't know what she should feel at that moment, her mind was a whirl of thoughts. She knew that she should be happy about not getting stuck in foster care but another part of her was even more terrified of the solution that had been presented to her.

_What if I blow it? What if I keep on fucking things up?_

She wondered as she set about laying another layer of brick, the repetitive motion giving her something to focus on besides the emptiness that her thoughts had conjured up.

Smear, place, smear, place. The pattern went, making her think that maybe in another life she could have been a carpenter or something though she pushed that thought out if her mind as soon as it had entered.

She was so preoccupied that she didn't notice that the varsity soccer teams began to gather not too far from where she was working.

"Whats the demon bitch doing here?"

Sunset overheard one guy in the senior class sneer, causing a mumble of voices to join in however to her surprise a familiar voice cut in, commanding and loud

"She's cleaning up the mess she made last night. Like you had to do earlier this year when the senior prank flooded the basement!"

_Wait...Is Rainbow Dash actually…._

"Oh shut up Rainbow Crash. Why are you so defensive about her? You of all people know what she did!" the boy, whose name Sunset seemed to remember being Silver something or another snapped.

"Yeah? So what? She's not bothering anyone now, is she? No! So stop calling her names!"

"Oh shut up. We have practice to get to, who cares about Sunset when we are going up against Crystal Prep in three days!" another male voice, Soarin stated successfully changing the subject.

_Rainbow Dash actually….was standing up for me? But why? I was horrible to everyone and I broke up her group of friends._

She wondered, feeling the familiar sting pressing at the backs of her eyes as she thought about it but she shook it off. If the repair crews would be here to complete repairs Monday then sunset should at least have the foundation of the front wall built back before then.

* * *

 


	3. Chapter 3

Monday came all too quickly for Sunset, who found it hard to muster up enough courage to just enter the building.

"What's she doing here?"

"She should be locked up somewhere!"

"Hey Demon Bitch! Why are you even bothering? No one wants you here!"

Sunset tried to ignore the voices of the other students as she walked down the hall. She could feel the tears threatening at the corner of her eyes though she knew she deserved this, this was just karma coming back and biting her for being just such a jerk.

"Watch out! She might attack again!"

She would have given anything for her magic then because if she had been able she would have teleported herself out of the range of their comments.

"Begone Demon!"

She hadn't even noticed Trixie had stepped in front of her until something powdery was tossed into her face, burning her eyes and causing her to step backward and right into someone. She felt a hand grab her arm and braced herself for the inevitable blow, though suddenly she heard a commanding voice snap

"You damn idiot! Are you trying to blind someone? Rainbow, Go get the nurse and one of the principals."

Sunset was trying hard not to cry although her eyes watered from the substance and her back was hurting from bumping into her capture, who had released her arm after she finished speaking. Sunset could hear Trixie stammering out an explanation though her captor snorted at whatever Trixie had said.

"Pathetic. You really are as big of an idiot that everyone else thinks you are, aren't you?"

It wasn't until Sunset was sitting on a bench, a strange smelling liquid being poured into her face did she even realize what had happened and when she was finally able to open her eyes she saw Rainbow Dash and her group of friends, along with someone she never thought she would see standing in front of her.

Spitfire, the senior class president and captain of the girl's junior soccer team.

"Is your vision blurry? Clear? Does anything hurt?" Nurse Kindheart questioned, breaking Sunset's thoughts.

"A little blurry but I'll be alright." Sunset answered, noticing how angry Spitfire looked. She had a run in with the Senior before and knew exactly how sharp-tongued the orange haired girl could be. But her gaze didn't seem on Sunset but on the door of the principal's office, which they were seated in front of.

Rainbow Dash and Applejack both looked angry as well, though Rainbow kept shooting concerned looks toward Spitfire.

"What exactly was that stuff Trixie Lunatic threw at Sunset?" Rainbow Dash asked the nurse who just sighed and answered

"Salt."

The answer earned a lot of confused looks though Sunset let out a humorless laugh, causing everyone to turn to look at her as if she had lost her mind.

"Salt wards off evil. Back in ancient times, people would sprinkle salt around their homes to keep out vampires and werewolves. Remember we read that in English class while covering mythology?" she explained, trying not to let her emotions show in her voice.

Luna stood against the wall as not to crowd the teen. She was going to let Celestia play bad cop this time, she was too angry and Celestia had always been the one who could control her temper, even when the matters were this serious. All she could think about was how the incident could have cost Sunset her vision and despite her reluctance to forgive easily, she didn't want to see Sunset seriously hurt.

"If you're done with miss shimmer I need to have a word with her in my office." Luna stated after giving Kindheart enough time to make sure there was no damage.

"You can't be serious! Sunset's the victim here! You can't punish her because someone hurt her!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, causing Luna to arch a brow as she turned to her direction.

Rainbow Dash is loyal to a fault. I wonder if anyone else noticed the blood on Sunset's shirt. Either there's more that happened this morning or if she was actually physically injured during the fall formal incident. Luna thought, though in her regular, stern tone she responded

"Principal Celestia will want to hear her side of the story. So I suggest you get to class miss. Dash."

Luna followed Sunset into the office, noticing the worried look Spitfire sent her, making it obvious that the athlete had seen the same things that Luna had.

Shutting the door and locking it, pulling the shade down over the window of the door before turning toward Sunset.

"Take off your jacket."

Sunset was a bit taken aback by the command, though before she could even get her mouth to form the word 'why' Luna Continued to speak, her tone becoming softer than Sunset had ever heard it.

"I saw the blood. I want to see how bad the injuries are. I would have mentioned it to Kindheart but she doesn't know about the whole demon thing."

Sunset knew she didn't have a choice, that Luna would find a way to force her to comply so slowly she removed her leather jacket, wincing as the motion irritated her back. She could feel heat crawling into her face as she felt Luna's lift the back of the bloodstained cloth.

Oh, come on! I lived in a world where clothing was optional for years! Why does having another female looking at your back embarrass you? Sunset mentally scolded herself as she tried to stand still.

Luna felt her eyes widen when she saw the state of the teenager's back which was slick with blood. The wounds themselves were almost as wide as her palm, red and angry as if the skin had just been flayed away from her shoulder blades.

"Sunset, You should have told someone you were hurt! How did this happen?" Luna demanded, the harshness of her tone causing Sunset to flinch.

"It was the wings I grew or at least I think that's what it was. I remember feeling the pain as they came in." Sunset said in a low voice, not quite a whisper but still low. She didn't want to have this conversation, didn't want to explain her actions and didn't want the pity she knew she would get.

She heard the vice principal sigh at her answer before she walked over to her desk, producing a first aid kit from one of the larger drawers.

"You made this worse on yourself. If you had told someone last night I could have used an antiseptic that didn't hurt as much. But right now all I have is Alcohol and peroxide and to be frank, both burn like hell." Luna said, sending Sunset an apologetic look.

"To be honest, do I deserve less?" Sunset responded, earning a scoff from the woman who began to set out what she would use on the desk.

"Against protocol or not, you say that again and I will hit you with something."

Sunset half believed the woman was serious until she saw the smirk and realized that Luna was joking. _Wait, Since when did she even smile? What is going on?_

Sunset wondered, caught off guard by the action though she managed to snap out of her stupor long enough to come when she was motioned over. Luna tried to be gentle as she tried to clean the blood from the unharmed skin, noticing deep bruising that rain like veins from the injuries.

"Does magic always harm the user in such a way?" She asked, wondering how anyone would subject themselves to that level of pain.

"No. I mean there are spells that hurt like hell when they hit someone but that's an equivalent of a slap or punch depending on the mana the user wants to put into the blast. What I did...I tried to use a type of magic I wasn't ready for, I'm lucky a sore back is all I got." Sunset replied softly, remembering Princess Celestia's warning about using advanced magic the day before Sunset had run away.

 _This is one hell of a spanking for being a dumbass_. Sunset thought wincing as something cold was pressed on her lower back where the tail of her demon form had been. _Who would have thought that Principal Luna could be gentle?_

"Sunset, try to brace yourself. This will sting but it's better than getting an infection." the vice principal's voice called her from her thoughts. Sunset nodded, tightening her grip on her jacket as she felt something cold being sprayed onto her skin, then the fire ignited.

She could feel tears running down her face as she buried her face into her jacket to try to keep from screaming because of the pain, having to choke back sobs when the spray was directed to the smaller wound that was partly covered by the waistband of her skirt.

* * *

 

When Celestia heard the muffled screams she thought the worst but when she opened the door to see Sunset sitting with her back covered in thick bandages she froze, half because of the number of bloody rags in the trash and half because her sister was crouched down beside of Sunset, a hand stroking the teen's hair.

"What happened?" Celesta asked, earning a sigh from Luna.

"Let's just say that demon form left its mark." Luna said, feeling mentally exhausted. She could only imagine the pain she had put the girl through the previous day. Running a hand over her face, Luna tried not to feel guilty about it. after all, she hadn't known about the injuries.

"You stay with her, she's in no shape to return to class right now." then with that Luna left the office, slamming the door behind her. Celestia saw Sunset wince at the sound.

"Are you alright?" it was a stupid question Celestia knew but the silence was unnerving.

"I'm fine." Sunset answered simply before moving her stiff shoulders with a wince "I guess I should have told someone I was hurt before. May not have ruined my favorite shirt if I had."

* * *

 


	4. Chapter 4

"What did Nightmare moon want?"

Sunset nearly jumped out of her skin at the sudden voice, causing her to whirl around only to see Rainbow Dash and AppleJack standing there, the latter looking as if she was sizing Sunset up.

"She was just concerned about what happened." Sunset lied easily, earning a snort from Rainbow Dash who suddenly snapped Sunset's locker shut, surprising the yellow-skinned girl.

"Spitfire told us about the blood she saw when you fell into her. So spill. Who hurt you?"

Sunset was at a loss for words. Why was the prism haired athlete concerned? How should she respond to that? She knew how she would feel if she had hurt someone the night of the fall formal and she didn't want to make anyone feel like that.

"I did it to myself," she answered simply, trying not to make eye contact "When I turned into that she-demon thing." it was only half the truth because she wasn't sure if it had been the transformation or the rainbow blast that had left her wounded.

"Well since Miss. Loony threw salt in your face like a total retard I wasn't sure if someone had hit you with something or what." Rainbow stated, earning a look from Applejack because of her wording.

"Anyway, We were wondering if you wanted to sit with us. It would beat eating alone." the country girl said, causing Sunset to glance down. She didn't understand how they could even speak to her, sure they had promised Twilight Sparkle to keep an eye on her but that didn't mean they have to be nice.

"Okay. I kind of still need to apologize to everyone anyway."

You could have heard a pin drop when they walked into the cafeteria when Sunset walked in. Applejack and Rainbow Dash flanked her as if daring anyone to try to do anything but that didn't make Sunset feel any better.

"You guys don't have to do this." Sunset said, keeping her gaze glued to the floor as she followed them to their table.

"You're right, we don't. But this whole thing leaves a bad taste in my mouth! I understand people are afraid of you and you were pretty bad to everyone but that doesn't excuse how they're acting." Rainbow Dash said bluntly.

"Your right about that. Bullyin' is still wrong no matter who is on the receiving end and it's like Granny Smith always says; If you take an eye for an eye then the whole world would be blind." Applejack said in agreement before glancing over at Sunset who seemed lost in thought.

"look, I'm sorry for the shit I've done over the past few years. I came here in the middle of your eighth-grade year and was this snobby, self-centered brat with an ego." Sunset began as they drew closer to the table where the other girls sat. She waited until she was standing beside the table before speaking again.

"I thought I was better than everyone because of how much smarter I seemed to be then freshman year I saw your little hodgepodge group and I got jealous. I wouldn't admit it then but most of you had something that I wanted for myself, well more than one thing."

She had to pause, her voice breaking slightly as she searched for the words to describe the emotions she had pushed aside for so long. Feeling a hand on her shoulder she looked to see Applejack was looking at her, green eyes speaking silent encouragement.

Taking a deep breath Sunset gather herself to continue

"Rarity you were popular not only because of your looks but because you were so kind to everyone. It made me sick how generous you were with everyone, even the people everyone else looked down on and Rainbow Dash, you were popular because you were good at something and didn't let your ego kill out everyone else's self-esteem."

Again she paused, her hands balling into a fist as she continued "I was even jealous of the friendship you had. I would never admit it back then but seeing you all together made me realize how lonely I really was."

Sunset could have continued, dragging out everything that she had ever hated these five girls over but each one grew more and more personal and she didn't want to have to remember her past, not with everything else going on.

"I guess it took a rainbow to the face to erase my pride long enough to make me realize just how wrong I was...and make me face what I really was feeling all along and I'm sorry."

Sunset didn't know what she was expecting, but it wasn't Rainbow Dash's hand gripping her other shoulder or being suddenly tackled into a hug by Pinkie Pie.

"Hey, everyone makes mistakes and if your willing to own up and try to change then that's good enough for us." Rainbow Dash said, surprising Sunset who had expected her to be the most stubborn of the group.

"Really? I thought you would hate me after everything." Sunset said, surprised by all of this. She could feel the eyes of the whole school on her as they stared in disbelief.

"Hate Is such a strong word. Sure we were angry and rightfully so but as far as hate…" Rarity began, trailing off as if lost in thought.

"Ah can't say Ah hated ya. Sure wanted to deck ya in the nose a few times though." Applejack replied but then shrugged and added: "but as long as ya don't stab us in the back again, Ah think we can all agree to give ya a second chance."

Sunset felt tears fill her eyes as she heard this. She couldn't believe that she was hearing this. Even after almost killing them they were willing to forgive her.

"Thanks, everyone. I...I'll try not to screw this up."


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bold Italic=flashback
> 
> Italics=thoughts
> 
> A\N: kinda based some of this on one line found in the anon-a-miss comic.

 

Sunset sighed as she opened her locker, trying to ignore the words that were scrawled over the door in permanent marker. She knew that if she looked at the words that they would be whirling around in her mind all evening and she didn't need to give whoever was over her detention any other reason to be angry with her.

The whole day she had been either glared at or ignored by teachers. She had listened to the snickers and insults from nearly every student that had been within a ten-mile radius of her and the ones who didn't ignore her.

Heading toward the room she had been assigned and groaned when she saw that it was Mrs. Harshwhinny, the AP English teacher who wasn't anyone's favorite. Sunset made it a point to just go into the room and took a seat at the main back of the class.

Celestia sighed as she watched from the window as the construction crew filled the crater that the blast had left. She wondered where Luna had gone off to after getting Sunset a clean shirt. It wasn't like Luna to run off like that but she had a feeling this whole fiasco was becoming personal for the younger woman.

"Why don't you go back where you came from? No one wants you here!"

Sunset tried to ignore them and get her algebra homework finished. But with each insult growing worse and adding to the sting that had already been building. She felt like crying or punching something, which one she wasn't sure.

"I bet you came here because no one wanted you where you came from either!"

That was the last draw, causing her to snap and whirl around to face the snickering boys beside her.

"Shut up! Just shut the hell up!"

Celestia wasn't sure what to expect when she got a call telling her Sunset Shimmer had been sent to her office. Whatever it was, it definitely wasn't the crying teenager that slammed the door closed behind her.

"Mrs. Harshwhinny told me you had a random outburst. Care to tell me the whole story?" She prompted once Sunset had a moment to regain some composer.

"Stupid Thorn and his f….group of friends. I tried to ignore it but then they….Thorn said…"

Sunset felt as if she could barely breathe suddenly, a knot forming in her throat.  _No one wanted you there either!_  The words kept repeating themselves into her mind until she felt as if she was going crazy, her chest was tightening and she felt sick.

"They were right."

She sobbed the confession, confusing Celestia who moved to comfort her. "Who were? What did they say, Sunset?"

Celestia asked, sitting beside of the fiery-haired girl who had wrapped her arms around herself as if to try to shield herself from the heartbreak she felt. Just seeing the usually confident teen so distressed tugged at her heart. When the only answer she got was a louder sob Celestia put an arm around her, feeling the girl lean into the touch.

_What could they say that hurt you so? How were they right, Sunset?_

Celestia wondered, running a hand along the girl's shoulders careful not to press too hard on the injuries.

"Sorry, I...Didn't mean to do that." Sunset sniffled after a while as she pulled away, using the back of her sleeve to dry her eyes. She knew that there had to be some level of professionalism between the two of them but one, naive part of her wanted to return the embrace.

"I understand. Now, do you think you can tell me what had you so upset in the first place?" Celestia replied, smiling sympathetically as she handed Sunset a tissue she produced from her pocket.

"It's nothing." Sunset responded, advertising her gaze as the principal arched a brow.

"Nothing doesn't leave people in tears and on the verge of a panic attack." The woman responded, her hand returning to rest on the teen's back. She knew that Sunset was hiding something.

Sunset bit her lip as she tried to figure out some way to lie out of this but one look at the woman made her reconsider.

"Even if I could go back home I...I don't have anyone back there except Twilight. I fucked...sorry...messed things up because of my pride and ambition and lost the closest thing to a family I ever had." Sunset confessed, her voice wavering as she remembered one particular day that had more or less sealed her fate.

" _ **You are not ready. What can I do to make you see that? Your ambition will be your downfall if you keep chasing after power."**_

" _ **You just don't want me to have anything! You're just like everyone else!"**_

" _ **Sunset, you know that is not true! I may not be able to…"**_

Shaking her head to rid herself of the thoughts that flickered through her mind. She didn't want to remember Princess Celestia, she didn't want to remember her childhood. She wished she could just forget everything.

"What about the names you listed on your paperwork? I know they don't live in this world but they were your parents, right?" Celestia asked softly, brushing a strand of hair from Sunset's face.

"They were supposed to be. my  _family_ and I were never close and that was  _before_  I became an overconfident jerk." Sunset answered honestly. "I mean who tells their preschooler that they'll never be anything? I mean, I kinda lived up to that with this whole Element magic she-demon thing."

Celestia was at a loss for words, though after a few minutes she managed to make her mind conjure the words.

"Sunset Shimmer," she began "You are not worthless and I have absolute faith that you  _can_ be whatever it is you set your mind to. Sure you made mistakes but no one is perfect and let me tell you something, what happens in the past does  **not**  mean you are that person. Your past does not define you."

"Then what does?" Sunset snapped, though her anger was quick to dissolve into regret. "Sorry, you didn't deserve that."

Celestia, to her surprise, didn't react to her outburst but instead replied: "What defines you is what you do, not what you have done."


	6. Chapter 6

"Thanks, Chrissy. You just made this whole mess a lot easier." Luna said sticking a yellow envelope into her purse as she turned to the darker woman who just smirked from behind the computer.

"Don't mention it though I am surprised Celestia agreed to this." Chrissy responded, earning a smirk from Luna who responded "trust me, if we had any other choice even I wouldn't stoop this low. After all, we're not teenagers anymore and this is beyond a fake ID. How do you know how to hack encrypt systems anyway?"

"Trust me, Luna, you do not want to know."

Luna chuckled as she shrugged "I will leave it at that. Now, tell me exactly what you've been up to these last few months. You vanished off the face of the planet."

The other woman, who looked like the Covergirl for a body art magazine with the multiple tattoos and piercings she had decorating her body laughed softly

"I had to travel to Manhattan to finish my computer tech program, Unlike  _some_ people I didn't get my head out of my ass before my thirties." Chrissy retorted, chuckling at the look Luna shot her.

"Are you talking about me or about Celestia? Because I remember you two hated each other and we  _ **all**_  had our head up our asses at one point or another." Luna questioned, earning a laugh.

"I'll let you guess who I was talking about. By the way, how is Celestia? Are she and that crackpot still playing still dancing around each other?" Chrissy retorted, turning her attention back to the computer.

Luna rolled her eyes, trying not to laugh at the question "what do you think? Tia is too stubborn to accept his proposal. They've been in an on again off again relationship since college. How the hell did that man become a doctor is beyond me."

Chrissy scoffed as she looked over the monitor, blowing her bangs out of her face as she retorted "the guy is comical, doesn't have a formal bone in his body and could make a rock laugh. There is a reason he is a therapist and not a brain surgeon."

Luna had to agree, the man did have his positive points and he could be funny, at times at least. As the silence fell over them Luna decided to send a text to Celestia, at least to explain where she was and what she was doing.

"So this Sunset Shimmer….How exactly did you and Celestia end up with an undocumented teenager, to begin with?"

Luna let out a sigh then, pinching the bridge of her nose to ward off a headache she was sure she would leave this apartment with.

"Chrysalis, before I answer that. Do you still believe in magic?"

The teal haired woman's eyes widened as she turned her full attention to Luna.

"What? As in the silly shit, magicians do or the shit Zerconia and I tried to prove existed to you?"

"The latter and in my defense Zerconia confused the hell out of me."

Celestia sighed as she finished up the massive amount of paperwork that she now had to send in thanks to the whole dance over at the  _cause_ of this whole mess she sighed. It was hard not to forgive someone who had been a complete wreck afterward.

She watched the girl in silence, noticing how she seemed more interested in her homework than in anything else in the world.  _I need to figure to put her until she is well enough to help the janitor._  Celestia sighed as she turned her attention back to her work.

Suddenly Celestia's cell phone began to ring, causing both of them to nearly jump out of their skins at the sudden sound.

"I'll step out and let you take that call." Sunset stated, not even waiting for a response before slipping out of the room and heading toward the bathroom.

"Hello? Luna, where the heck are you? Chrysalis did what? You both are crazy!"


	7. Chapter 7

_I would rather rebuild the wall._

That was the thought that entered Sunset's mind as she sat staring out the window in the detention room. She had done all of her homework so there was nothing for her to do. She knew that she couldn't sleep during this –no matter how much she wanted to – so she took to daydreaming. It didn't help that Celestia had forced her to spend the detention hour in the office with her.

"Are you sure that I can't go help the construction crew?" She finally asked, earning what she could only call a half amused look. "And let you hurt yourself? No." came Celestia's response.

Sunset slumped down in her seat at that, mumbling: "This isn't an office. It's a fluorescent hell." though this just went without a response from the woman, although if Sunset had looked up she would have seen the amused smile on the principals face.

More time passed, with the only sounds being the click of Celestia's keyboard and the ticking of the large wall clock.

"Can you at least let me do something besides sit here watching the wind blow?"

“Wouldn't be much of a punishment if you wanted to do it, would it?” Celestia retorted, earning a dirty look in response.

“You’re the worst.”

neither of them saw that there was someone else standing in the doorway until another voice said “and you’re still a brat. Maybe we should make you stand outside holding a bucket of water.”

Sunset blushed then as Luna walked into the room and dropped the fat, yellow envelope she had gotten from Chrysalis down onto Celestia’s desk. “This is the paperwork Sunset needs in order to survive. So I suggest you make her an appointment with an eye specialist to see if Miss. Lulamoon’s stunt left any lasting damage.” Luna stated before glancing over at the bacon haired teen before adding “also I made arrangements with the asshole for her. Even if she doesn't need a psychologist she’ll need someone to confide in and heaven knows he could make a rock laugh!”

 

Sunset was about to butt in upon the mention of a psychiatrist however what she heard next stopped her dead. “she even forged a paper appointing me as her legal guardian?”

“Not faked. Judge Gravel signed off on it.”

“Whoa! Hold up! Don't I get a say on this?” Sunset finally spoke, earning a sigh.

“You got your say when you agreed to stay with one of us.” Luna stated. _How did everyone fear this brat? She literally looks like a little kid right now!_ Luna wondered as Sunset crossed her arms in a pout.

“Look, I'm not going to be a slave driver or whatever else you're thinking. This is just for legal reasons.” Celestia began, though Sunset just glared.

“Bullshit! I know how these things go!” she snapped before rushing out.

“Well, at least she didn't turn into a fire-breathing monster this time.” Luna muttered, only to earn a slap on the shoulder from her sister.  
“Luna!”

 

Sunset punched the wall outside of the building before sliding down onto the pavement. Her mind was jumbled up with all different thoughts and emotions. _They won't care. It'll be one expectation on top of another just like with my parents. The only one who ever even remotely cared about me was Sunburst. Why didn't they ever tell me I wasn't their daughter but their niece? Didn't they think I could handle it? Why does everyone just lie to me or do shit behind my back?_

She didn't know how long she had sat there, or that she was crying until she felt a hand on her shoulder. Looking up she found herself looking into the benevolent, violet gaze of Celestia.

“What do you want?” Sunset snapped, though the aurora-haired woman just knelt down beside of her. “I want to apologize for rushing all of this on you and for my sisters less than appropriate ways of dealing with this but neither of us meant to offend you. But if you had gotten hurt or badly ill…”

Sunset sighed and nodded, cutting the principal off “I know. I'm sorry I snapped but it's a lot to take in. Things won't change between us will it?”

Celestia responded by stroking Sunset’s hair. “Nothing will change.”


	8. Chapter 8

Three days.

It had been three days since Luna had dropped the bombshell on Celestia and Sunset and since then the latter seemed even more distant than usual, which worried Celestia.  _What if she is falling back to her old ways?_  The Principal couldn't help but wonder, especially since the girl had turned down offers from some of the other students to hang out that evening.  
 _Maybe Luna or Chrysalis would be better for her? She will at least open up somewhat with Luna._

“Miss Celestia?”

Celestia was startled out of her thoughts by the sudden voice. “Sunset, it’s late. Shouldn't you be asleep?” she asked, instantly regretting it as the bacon haired girl glanced away, fidgeting slightly as she answered:

“I couldn't sleep and thought I would come down here and sit with you for a while.”

Celestia could hear the plea in the girl’s voice, though before she could answer Sunset quickly added: “Or I can go back upstairs and not bother you.”

 _Why does she act this way while around me? Like she expects me to become angry about any little thing?_ Celestia wondered as she said “No, it’s fine Sunset. I'm just a little surprised that you were awake is all. Usually, you're in bed before now.”

Sunset shifted slightly at that response, moving to sit in the recliner across the room, away from Celestia. A heavy silence lingered in the air for a few minutes before Celestia spoke, turning her full attention toward Sunset. “So, do you have any plans for this weekend?” she asked, trying to make conversation.

“No. I mean, Pinkie invited me to a sleepover but I don't think I’m ready for that. I mean...I don't even know them that well and it's been a long time since I’ve done anything like that.” Sunset answered after a few minutes.  _The only time I ever did something like that was with Sunburst and his friend...what was her name? That was when our...his...parents didn't shoo me out of the room to give him privacy._

“I’m glad that you have some friends to help you through this whole ordeal.” Celestia responded “I want you to know that if you need anything at all you can come to Luna or myself. I know this whole situation isn't ideal for you but let's make the best of it, okay?”

Sunset nodded, though she offered no response for several minutes before she asked  
“How are you so calm about this? I mean you basically had a stray dumped on your doorstep without anyone even asking you what you wanted.” She didn't even notice that Celestia had moved from her seat, let alone had come over beside of her.

“You’re not a stray, Sunset. Besides, even if I would have done things a bit differently than Chrissy and my sister but I would still do what was best for you, though you would have had a more active role in that.” Celestia responded gingerly “Though I suppose this whole thing is harder on you and on top of everything else that has happened, I can't imagine how you feel.”

Sunset debated rather or not it would be a good idea for her to tell the woman anything, after all, she knew that was what Celestia wanted. “you’re right, you can't.” she answered, wrapping her arms around herself “I just feel like everything is spiraling out of control again.”

 

 _Again? What does she mean by that?_ Celestia wondered, unsure what to do so she just wrapped an arm around Sunset’s shoulders, careful not to press on the wounds. She felt the teen stiffen at the sudden touch but to Celestia’s surprise, she didn't pull away. “I may not understand but perhaps it will help if you talk about it?” the aurora haired woman decided to press.

“Maybe later...I...I don't want to keep you awake all night since you have work tomorrow.”

 

Sunset was surprised when she heard Celestia scoff, prompting her to look up. “Sunset, you wake up at the same time as I do and I think I’m the one used to a strange sleeping schedule. You, on the other hand, are hard enough to wake up without the sleep deprivation.”

 _At least when you go to sleep you stay asleep...and you would be groggy too if you had to rely on medicine to help you fall back asleep at all hours of the night._  Sunset thought, thinking back to the pink capsules she had found that she had probably been abusing since Saturday night. “Sorry. I guess you’re right. It's just weird talking to you about this sort of thing.” Sunset confessed, rubbing the back of her neck as she finally met Celestia’s gaze for a brief moment before glancing away.

An silence passed over them for some time before Celestia decided to speak again. “I think there are still some of those strawberry tarts that Luna delivered yesterday left in the fridge. Why don't I go make us some tea to go with them? Sometimes chamomile tea helps me when I can't sleep.”

Sunset managed a small nod as she stood up. “I guess it's worth a try. But don't just go through all that trouble on my part,” she replied softly, earning a sigh from the aurora haired woman. “Sunset, I wouldn't have offered if I would have been put out by it.”

  
  
  
  


Later that night Sunset awoke in a cold sweat, the scent of smoke and blood still haunting her senses, the image of the carnage of war laying around her as she–no her demon, stood above the burned and bleeding carcass of the Equestrian Princess.  _I never wanted anyone to be hurt. I...I just wanted to prove that I was worth something! I wanted people to finally respect me._ She thought as she pulled her knees to her chest, burying her face against the blankets that was still bunched around her lower body. _Maybe everyone was right, I will never be anything. I only got to be the princess’s personal student because I made a sunflower grow from a seed into some kind of monster skyscraper. I wonder if she ever wanted me after that? Maybe that's why she kept me at a wingspan while Twilight Sparkle got to have a personal relationship with her._

She couldn't help but feel bitter as she thought of that. She had gone back through the portal once before, only to find that Princess Celestia had taken on a new student.  _Why did she get to spend personal time with her when if I tried I got a lecture on professionalism? Maybe she sensed the evil in me even back then...Maybe she knew that I deserved to be alone._


	9. Chapter 9

Celestia was cooking breakfast when she heard a crash from upstairs.  _Now, what did that girl break this time?_ She wondered, though her answer came dragging downstairs still half asleep a few minutes later, making a beeline for the coffee maker.

“Sorry about your clock. I accidentally knocked it off the nightstand.” Sunset confessed, though Celestia just shook her head in amusement. _Here I thought Luna wasn't a morning person._

“Did you get any sleep at all last night? you look awful.” Celestia decided to ask as she put breakfast on the table as Sunset moved to sit down.  
“Gee thanks for the vote of confidence.” Sunset retorted though her bravado dropped a second later as she added “no. I didn't.”

Celestia was surprised by the teen’s honesty “Can I ask why?” she questioned, not really expecting an answer, but to her surprise, Sunset whispered: “I keep having these nightmares. To be honest I haven't slept well since the night before the fall formal.”

 _Why didn't she mention this to anyone?_  Celestia wondered though she didn't want to ask since Sunset had actually managed to open up, even if just a bit. “If you ever want to talk about it, know that I’m always willing to listen, no matter what time it is.” she said instead.

“Thanks, Ma’am. I...I will try to keep that in mind.”

* * *

_Demon._

_Bitch._

_Should have died._

_Go kill yourself!_

_No one wants you here!_

It didn't matter where she went, those words seemed to follow her every move that Friday morning just like they had all week and what made it worse was that she had two classes that she didn't share with her new acquaintances, leaving her to face the taunts alone.

 _Just push through Sunset, you deserve this after all._  She mentally reminded herself as she tried to make her way to her algebra class that morning, only to find her desk covered in some kind of dark, smelly substance that she recognized almost instantly.

“What's wrong She-demon?”

Someone sneered, pushing her from behind, though thankfully she was able to regain her balance before she fell face first into the muck. The shove, however, did hurt as his hands had pressed hard against her upper back prompting her to whirl around to face her attacker, only to see Thunderlane standing there.

“What are you going to do, demon? Throw a fireball at me?” he sneered, shoving her again.

 _Don't get mad….don't give him what he wants. If you lash out you might actually turn back into that thing and you don't want that._  She thought as she watched a crowd gathered around them.

“You know, the only reason you were adopted was because they wanted to make sure you didn't turn into that beast again!” she recognized that voice as Scootaloo’s.

“What? Who would be dumb enough to take her in after what she did!”

 

Sunset felt her blood run cold at that.  _Is it true? Was it because they are afraid of me beside them being concerned? Was that why they were so adamant about it?_ She wondered, feeling tears suddenly burn at the back of her eyes as she dashed out of the room. She didn't stop until she had reached the auditorium.  _Why did they tell me all of those things if they didn't mean them?_ She wondered as she slipped into the storage room that the drama club used.

_It's just like with m...my aunt and uncle. They always preferred Sunburst over me and they had the gall to lie to me my whole life. Then the princess...she acted like she cared too...but she always kept her distance. I was a fool for believing anyone could care!_

She buried her face in her arms as sobs began to shake her body. She didn't know how long she had sat there in the dark, but suddenly she became aware of someone approaching her.

“So this is where you vanished to.”

Sunset stiffened as she heard the voice. “Go away Trixie.” she managed to say, not bothering to look up though to her surprise she heard the footsteps draw closer.

“I heard what Thunder and Scootaloo said in Trigonometry this morning.” Trixie began, pausing as she tried to figure out what the right thing to say would be. “Trixie may know how it feels to hear those words and I...Want to apologize for throwing salt at you the other day.”

Sunset was at a loss for words, though her thoughts and emotions were whirling out of control. This had to be a hoax, it just had to. After all, why would Trixie of all people care about what happened to her? She had, after all, bullied the girl relentlessly.

“I locked you in a janitor's closet.” Sunset muttered, still not looking up though she was surprised when Trixie just scoffed.

“Yeah and Rainbow Dash shut me up in a locker freshman year.” she responded before taking a seat beside Sunset “and I didn't smear manure on her desk.”

Sunset risked a glance up then, only to burst into laughter as she saw the state that Trixie was in. “Um...Trixie. What happened to you? Your hat is smoking.” the blue girl blushed as she quickly removed the hat.  
“Don't change the subject! Trixie was trying to make an apology and to ask you if you wanted to be her friend!” she stated before adding “that is if you can forgive me.”

"Trixie, the fact that the person I locked in a room and shoved in mud multiple times is willing to even speak to me right now is enough reason for me to forgive you."


	10. Chapter 10

“And that is why you shouldn't try experimenting with firecrackers. Like seriously, the smoke bombs are more than enough, they don't have to be flashy too.” Sunset stated as she opened her locker, only to receive a face full of green paint from behind the door.

“Ugh. You have got to be kidding me!”

Trixie took an instinctive step back from Sunset, who was standing with her fists clenched to her sides, her cheeks reddening. “Sunset, it's just paint, it'll wash off.” Trixie tried to assure her, only for the redhead slam the locker shut.

“I have been tripped, almost got shoved into what I can only imagine was horse shit, spit on, now this! If I find out who did this I will…” Sunset began, although she stopped when Trixie put a hand on her shoulder.

“You’re going to work yourself up and do something you regret. Come on, let's go try to wash some of that paint off.” The magician said, though Sunset just glared.

“What good will that do?” Sunset snapped, pulling away, though she deflated somewhat as she glanced down at herself “Can you go to the resource center and see if they have any extra clothes? Please?” she asked timidly, earning a slight smirk.

“The mighty big and powerful Queen bee saying Please? That was unexpected.” Trixie stated before nodding “sure, I’ll go.” with Trixie gone Sunset headed toward the bathroom, trying to keep her rage from building up.

 _Calm down. If you get mad who knows what will happen. Like Trixie said, it's just paint and this jacket was ruined already._  She reminded herself as she walked, half hoping she would not be caught out of class after the bell had rung.

“What happened She-demon? Eat too much grass or did karma bite you in the ass after what you did to Rarity?” that was the last draw for Sunset as she turned and actually punched whoever it was behind her.

* * *

Luna groaned as she rubbed at her temples as she glanced over at Celestia. “Do you want to take this one, she’s  _your_ foster daughter.” She asked, earning a look.

“Don't you start. If she hears you saying that she’ll overreact again and Yes I’ll take Sunset, You handle Thunderlane. Surprisingly he has more spark than the girl who sucker punched him.” Celestia responded as Luna headed for the door.

“They’re both hot-headed and stubborn. Good luck with Miss. Shimmer, you’re going to need it. After all, you live with her.” Luna quipped, too low for the two teenagers outside the room to hear.

As soon as Luna opened the door Thunderlane stood up, pointing toward Sunset with one hand while holding a cold pack to his face. “She needs to be put in a fucking cage somewhere!”

Luna repressed the urge to roll her eyes at the boy’s statement. “And so do you if you can't speak more civilized than you are currently Mr. Lane. Now follow me.”

Sunset sat outside the room for a few more minutes before the door opened again, though the teen didn't look up. Celestia took note of Sunset, who was still covered in bright green paint. “Perhaps you should come in here and tell me what happened?” she said, prompting the teen to nod, though she didn't look up as she stood and shuffled her way into the room.

“Sunset, explain what happened today. You and Mr. Lane were locked in a brawl by the time Cherilee and Luna managed to separate you two! What brought this on?” Celestia prompted after a few minutes of silence. Her voice didn't raise or change to the familiar severe tone she was accustomed to.

“I was just so angry. I didn't even realize I had hit him until we were in a full-blown fight.” Sunset answered softly, not daring to make eye contact.

“And what made you angry?” the principal prompted in the same calm, disappointed tone, though she almost regretted asking the question when Sunset told her everything that had happened that week.

“Then today Thunderlane and some of the jackasses in my class put manure on my desk and then the paint in my locker! When he started poking fun in the middle of the hallway I just snapped!” Sunset finished, her voice breaking as the anger dissolved and left behind the raw hurt she had felt.

“Sunset, what he and the others did was wrong but so was hitting him. However, I won't add more to your detention sentence since it and the community service is quite extensive however you will be spending the next three days in isolation.” Celestial chose her words carefully, not wanting to set the girl off any farther “as for right now, go get yourself cleaned up and get back to class, we’ll talk about this more before you are released to work with the construction crew.”

As soon as the teen had left Celestia sighed and headed toward Luna’s office, knocking on the door.  _I hope that Luna has some idea what we can do with this mess. Neither of those two are innocent and I fear this will just get worse._


	11. Chapter 11

Luna sighed as she listened to the mournful sound that Sunset kept playing on the guitar. The girl had locked herself in her room as soon as they had entered the house. J _ust what did Celestia say to her? I mean I know she took the kid’s phone before sending her off to work but she didn't raise her voice._

She couldn't imagine her sister saying anything that would hurt the girl this badly, but she knew that Sunset wasn't in a good place emotionally at the moment and who knew what was going on inside Sunset’s head.  _If only I could help her some way. I know Celestia wants me to help her open up but Sunset is one difficult case._

She was so preoccupied that when her phone began to ring that she almost jumped out of her skin. “Hello?” she asked, only to hear a cheerful sounding voice exclaim on the other end of the phone:

“Hey, Lulu! Chrys told me you wanted me to call! So what's going on? You would usually call if you just wanted to chat.”

Luna winced at the nickname before rolling her eyes “Hello Discord. I needed to call in a favor from you. I’m sure Chrysalis told you about Celestia’s new house guest.” Luna answered, just as the sound of something being tossed at the wall caused her to groan “Can I call you back? Speak of the devil and she shall appear..or in this case throw something at the wall.”

She heard Discord laugh before the line went dead, though she knew he would question her about this later.  _Let's go see what little miss sunshine managed to do this time._

Luna was surprised to find the teen had opened the door, though the source of the crash seemed to be from the heavy seemingly leather-bound book that was laying in the middle of the hallway.

“Sunset? What happened?” Luna asked, picking the book up though Sunset just glared over at her as she answered.

“Burn that damned thing!”

Luna sent her a light glare as she carried the book back into the room, using it to deliver a light smack to the head of the teen as she replied: “I don't know what this is but it's not a good idea to get rid of all mementos from the past.”

After placing the book down on the bedside table the blue-haired woman took a seat beside the girl as she asked: “now what has made you so moody?”

She didn't really expect Sunset to answer at all but to her surprise, the redhead looked up briefly and said in a shaky, quiet tone “do you think I’m still that demon?”

“No.”

Luna didn't even have to think about her answer.

“What I see is a teenage girl with a short fuse, sarcastic streak and a ton of intelligence and willpower. What is all this about? That fight you and that football player got in?”

Sunset looked up then, eyes slightly widening as she absorbed her vice principal’s words.  _Wait, did she just say something nice about me? Even after I was such a snide little brat for all these years?_  She wondered as she managed a slight nod, feeling an arm wrap around her shoulders lightly.

“Well you did make a bad choice today but by no means does that mean you're that harpy you turned into the night of the dance.” Luna assured before adding with a grin “If that was the case then Celestia and I would both be monsters.”

Sniffling Sunset looked up at Luna then “what do you mean?”

Luna sighed then but answered in the same warm tone “Celestia and I both got in our fair share of trouble when we were younger. Perhaps later tonight when my sister gets back she’ll tell you about some of the dumb stuff we did.”

“Where is she anyway? Is the school board still throwing a fit?” Sunset questioned, earning a chuckle.

“No, Naysay is afraid to say anything else to her after she basically asked what he thought happened to the school, it got ripped apart by a magical flying unicorn.”

 

Sunset couldn't help but laugh at the response, she could imagine the embarrassed look on the man’s face.

“then what is she doing?”

Luna just shrugged as she stood up, pulling Sunset up with her.

“That, I can not tell you since my sister has sworn me to secrecy. However, I can say we are definitely ordering pizza and having some fun.”

* * *

When Celestia got home that evening she was surprised to find Sunset asleep on the sofa while Luna was cleaning up the kitchen.

“It seems like you two get along well.” She commented, setting a box down on the table before shrugging out of her jacket.

“She may be a cheeky thing but she isn't a bad kid. But you do need to sit her down and talk to her about your expectations. She acted like she was waiting on her executioner earlier and only stopped being a downer when I told her that we both had our fair share of trouble.”

Celestia frowned as she heard this, recalling how timid the girl seemed to be during their talk after school before the girl had gone to help on the wall.

“You don't think I have been too hard on her, do you?” she asked, earning a chuckle.

“Sis, too hard on her would be if you had started yelling or hit her. You literally had an open discussion with her. As a principal, you sentenced her to ISS and as a parent, you took her phone. Three days in a quiet room or without her phone isn't going to kill her.” Luna assured before turning grim “whatever this is that has been bothering her is deeper than that, right now structure and reassurance is the best thing you can give her.”

Celestia sighed then and glanced over at the sleeping teen.

“I might have been too aloof earlier. She was upset and I just ignored it. I mean there are ways I could still be professional and still not act like some kind of warden.” She admitted, earning a sigh.

“Tia, she may thought you were angry or worse but whatever this is has to stem from something worse than a firm talking to. She asked me if I thought she was still that demon and she looked so dejected and scared like she expected to suddenly be lashed out at in rage.”


	12. Chapter 12

Celestia watched as Luna changed the bandages on Sunset’s back, the large wounds had slowly begun the healing process though the bandages still needed changing. Celestia had taken on that job herself for the past couple of days, though it was obvious that Sunset preferred Luna for some reason.

“Sunset, I think we need to talk.” Celestia began, taking note how the teen stiffened so she added quickly “you’re not in any trouble. I just want to get to know you a bit is all.”

“Okay.” Sunset managed to say, fidgeting on the plush footstool she had been sitting on in front of Luna “what do you want to know?”

“Whatever you want to tell us. Though I do have to ask, what is that book you tossed into the wall earlier? The symbol on it is like the one on your bag.” Luna replied, earning a sigh from the teen.

“Why did I know this was going to come up?” Sunset said as she glanced down at the carpet before she answered “it's a book that my former mentor gave me that is enchanted so that whatever is written on one page appears in another. We’d use it to go over lessons and such when she had to be out of town.”

Celestia’s eyes flicked up to meet with Luna’s, who nodded.

“You two must have been close. For you to hold onto it for this long.” Celestia decided to be the one playing bad cop and ask, though she regretted it when she saw the girl’s shoulders slump.

“Kind of. I mean, when I was younger we seemed to be. I guess I kept it because one part of me wanted to be able to reach out to her if I needed to.” Sunset answered honestly, not wanting to answer any more questions but also didn't want to seem rude.

“I see. I’m sorry I made you uncomfortable.” Celestia said softly “I am just curious about who the real Sunset Shimmer is, not the girl you became because I remember how curious and almost even nervous you were when you first enrolled. Then you became…”

Sunset cut her off, her voice bitter “A bitch?” she suggested, earning a disapproving look though Celestia didn't say anything for a few minutes before she replied:

“I don't see that and I doubt Luna sees that in you either. But I hope you will eventually let us see the real Sunset Shimmer, not just the little miss bad man you tried to be.”

 

The red-haired former unicorn couldn't help but smile slightly at the teasing tone that the woman took with her.  _Maybe she is different than the princess?_

“I never thanked you for giving me a second chance. I mean most people would just….write me off as not worth the time.” Sunset said, risking a glance up at the aurora haired woman who had moved to kneel in front of her, much to her surprise.

 

“Everyone deserves a second or even third chance because no one is perfect, not even if they act like they are. Even the worse bully can turn around, trust me...I should know.” Celestia’s calm tone before glancing up at Luna who chuckled.

“Trust you? You mean you actually will admit to that?” Luna joked before adding “see

unset, you weren't the only teenaged girl hell-bent on popularity. Celestia was what did you call it? A Queen bitch? Though I am sure I called her worse than that back in those days.”

 

Sunset was speechless for a few minutes before she let out a small chuckle “wait _you_  did what? I find that hard to believe!”

“It's true. Though I think my biggest target was Luna.”

Celestia answered with a glance at Luna who chuckled and shrugged “like I said, we all have our skeletons in the closet.”

Sunset was quiet for a few minutes, unsure what to think since the two women before her seemed to be perfect on the surface or at least outside of their snippy comments toward each other.  _How can they just admit to all of that and act like it is no big deal?_ She wondered though suddenly she was broken from her thoughts by a touch on the shoulder.

 

“Are you okay?”

“Huh? Yeah, I was just thinking.” Sunset answered “does it get easier to deal with the guilt? Does it ever really go away?”

“Well...no. Not entirely but it does get easier.” Luna was the one to answer “some days are better than others but it helps to know that someone is there that loves you.”


	13. Chapter 13

_Someone who loves you._

The words repeated themselves in her mind, reminding her of how alone she truly was.  _Who could love something like me?_ She wondered bitterly as she sat on the bed late that night. She was exhausted but she couldn't get her brain to shut down. I’m a monster.  _Maybe that's why everyone turned their backs to me once I got too close._

She remembered all too vividly the times she had stood in her window, watching Cadence and The Princess play around during their lessons when Sunset knew that if she had tried to instigate anything like that she would end up getting lectured.  _I was just a kid...One whose family never visited. Surely she had to realize how lonely that was? How alone I felt?_ Sunset thought, glancing over at the book she had tossed into the hall earlier that evening.  
 _I couldn't even drop the formalities on paper...I had so much I wanted to talk to her about but...it wasn't a teacher’s place. Let alone a princess’s. Yet Cadence was never formal…_

 

She felt the familiar bitterness and envy fill her as she got up, walking into the bathroom that connected to her room, slamming the door shut behind her. “Calm down this is what got you in trouble in the first place!” she told herself, feeling her chest tightening at the thought.

 

 _What if I become that demon again? What if I really end up hurting someone this time?_  
She thought, glancing up though she stumbled backward and fell back onto the cold tile as she saw black and teal eyes reflected back at her.

“No. It can't be. I can't...

She could hear her own voice though it seemed miles away as she struggled to remain in control, though it was becoming increasingly harder to breathe.  _Am I dying? Is the demon taking back over? Is it killing me?_ Her thoughts were spiraling out of control as she glanced up, though her vision blurred as if she was looking through a lens.

 

She could hear a strange sound, though she had no idea what it was that she was hearing as she struggled to gain control over whatever it was that had come over her.  _Am I going crazy?_ She couldn't help but think as she struggled to control herself. She wasn't sure how long she had sat there on the bathroom floor, however, she suddenly became aware of a voice calling to her.

“What is wrong with me?” Sunset managed to whimper as she became aware of someone stroking a hand through her hair. “Am I...Am I becoming that thing again?”

“No, of course not. Besides, I doubt it would just be content to let you sit on the floor.” The voice said again, though this time she could recognize the speaker as Celestia.

“I...I guess you’re right.” she mumbled, “I'm sorry I woke you.”

 

She felt an arm wrap around her then, pulling her back into a loose hug. “don't worry about that.” Celestia said softly “Don’t feel like you have to face everything alone. If you need me, no matter what time you come get me.”

 

 _I have to be dreaming._ Sunset thought as she leaned back into the embrace.  _why would she be willing to help me after I made her job so much harder?_ She wanted to ask but couldn't bring herself to get the words out. Instead, she focused on the feeling of warmth she was getting from being so close to the woman.

“You don't have to do this you know. I can handle this myself.” Sunset said after a while, though she only felt the grip tighten around her as Celestia responded

“I know you can but that doesn't mean you should. But if you feel up to it, why don't we go downstairs for a while?”

 

Sunset didn't really want to move, though even she would admit that the floor was uncomfortable so she nodded as she stood, staggering to her feet.  _What was I thinking? Leaning into her like that? She only put her arm around me like that because I was upset. She does stuff like that all the time with her other students._

“You must think I'm pathetic. Acting like some overgrown foal.” Sunset muttered as Celestia reach out to help steady her. She didn't dare meet the woman’s eyes, afraid to know what would be reflected there.

“Why do you say that? You aren’t pathetic, you’re just upset.”

Celestia heard Sunset mumble something as she headed toward the door but couldn't quite make it out.

* * *

Luna groaned as she heard her cell phone go off on her bedside table, prompting her to glance at the clock before answering. “This better be important. It’s three in the frickin morning.”

“Luna, I need to ask you to do me a favor.” Celestia’s voice caught her off guard by saying

“Tia? What the hell are you doing up this late? We both have work tomorrow.” Luna questioned as she sat up.

“That's kind of the reason I called you. I need you to call in sick today...I don't think Sunset will feel up to facing the other students and I really don't trust her to stay here by herself.”

Luna let out a sigh of relief as she heard this “alright, I’ll play over glorified babysitter again. But what’s wrong with Sunset? Something had to happen because you sound worried.”

Luna knew from the silence that she was right and that this was something that Celestia didn't want to talk about, rather because the girl in question was in hearing range or because she was unsure how to breach the topic.

“I found Sunset sitting on the bathroom floor earlier tonight. I haven't seen anyone look so frightened since….” Celestia’s words hung in the air though Luna understood the unspoken comment all too well.

“Since I blamed myself for the crash?” the younger of the two sisters guessed before her voice dropped lower “is she really that bad?”

“bad enough that she admitted she felt pathetic. I'm not sure if it was over what obvious was a panic attack or whatever it was that even triggered the attack.”

 

Luna suppressed the urge to groan at that. “I’ll see if Discord can hang out. Maybe he can get her to open up outside of a traditional doctor’s office.” she stated before glancing at the clock “if I wake up before dusk that is.”

Celestia chuckled a bit at that “You better get all the rest you can because I bet you ten bucks that Sunset will end up punching Discord!”

Luna couldn't help but snicker at that thought “Tell you what Celestia, If she does I will record it. Though you will probably hear me laughing my ass off in the background. How that asshole became a psychologist and can actually keep a job is beyond me.”


	14. Chapter 14

“Remind me again why I have to meet your friends?” Sunset complained the next morning as she was practically forced out of bed by Luna, who just rolled her eyes at the groggy and grumpy teen.

“Because I had plans and I am not leaving you here by yourself.” Luna retorted, opening the curtain to Sunset’s room only to have to bite back a laugh as Sunset threw her blankets up over her face to block out the offending light.

“Why not? I’d just sleep!” Sunset grumbled, voice muffled by the covers.

Luna couldn't contain her amusement anymore and let out a small laugh “it’s noon. You’ve got you’re eight hours. I don't think you need any more sleep for today. Besides I am not about to cancel on them and if I leave you here my sister will kill me.”

Sunset let out a groan as she slowly got out of bed, glaring at Luna all the while.  
“Great, I get to spend the entire day with old people.” she commented under her breath as she headed toward the bathroom, only to feel something hit her square in the back of the head.

“I heard that brat. I am not that old!” Luna retorted as Sunset whirled around to figure out what she had been hit with, only to find one of the shirts that she had discarded onto the floor by the bed lying at her feet, where it had landed after hitting her.

“You’re past twenty-six so yes you’re old!” the teen said cheekily as she ducked into the bathroom just as Luna lobbed a pillow at her.

“you know I am going to get you for that!” she heard Luna call through a laugh before she heard the door to the bedroom click shut.  _I can’t believe that her bark is worse than her bite._ Sunset thought as she set about getting ready to face the day.

Luna, meanwhile went to the kitchen to make coffee when she noticed the box that they had forgotten about laying on the couch.  _I really should let Celestia give it to her but it will be getting colder soon. Plus her jacket done for._ She thought as she grabbed a notepad from near the phone and wrote out a message:

Sunset,   
I forgot to give this to you last night with everything else going on.   
Anyway, I hope you like it.   
~celestia.

“Hey, Sunset! When you come down check the couch! Celestia left something for you this morning!”

  
  


Chrysalis arched a brow as she watched Discord set out lunch onto the table, humming all the while. “What the hell are you doing? Tired of getting turned down by one sister so you trying to impress the other?” she asked, earning a look as he retorted:

“I will have you know that  _the very thought_ of that makes me want to gag. Luna and I are best friends or don't you remember like all of our time in high school?”

“You mean besides what the detention hall looked like?” Chrysalis remarked as she moved to pick up the frilly pink apron that he had discarded onto the floor “We were terrible”

“were? Chrissy, you can hack into any system you want and just because Luna and I have normal jobs don't mean either of us is any different than we were back then, something has to pay the bills.”

“You make millions off that amusement park of yours. You don't have to do actual work. Though how the hell did you get through medical school is beyond me.”

Neither of them noticed the door opening until a voice said: “he got his license out of a cracker jack box.”

Sunset didn't know how to take the three adults in the room. Luna, she had always imagined as a stern, judgemental person though everything from that morning had shattered that image though as she stood behind Luna, watching as a tall, tan skinned man and a woman who had an incredible amount of body art bantered with each other. When Luna made the comment about the guy’s license she couldn't help but chuckle.

“You wound me! Ooh...who is this behind you? Is this the girl you told Chrys about?”

Sunset shifted uncomfortably under his red and yellow gaze.  _Jeez, what is up with this guy? It's like he can see inside my mind._  She thought as she shifted her gaze away from him.

“Discord, Chrysalis, this is Sunset Shimmer. Try not to make her too uncomfortable, she’s not used to your level of crazy.” Luna stated, chuckling as she glanced back at Sunset, making a mental note to try to figure out why she was acting so shy suddenly.

“Don't worry, I’ll keep Discord on his leash. Though I do want to hear more about magic if you ever feel up to talking about it.” Chrysalis retorted, taking hold of Discord’s goatee as emphasis.

“Make sure that you do. Now what the world is that smell? I know Chrissy can't cook and the two that can isn't home this weekend.” Luna commented, a hand gently forcing Sunset forward as she added: "relax Sunset, they don't bite.”

Before Sunset could respond Discord closed the distance between them, summoning a single flower with a snap of his fingers. “ Lulu is right. We’re all friends here.”

Luna resisted the urge to roll her eyes at her friend’s antics.  _What does he do? Charm his patients into admitting everything that bothers them?_  She thought, smirking at how confused that the teen looked.

“It’s Discord, don't question anything he does or you will lose IQ points.” she muttered to the fire-haired girl.


	15. Chapter 15

“Are you sure leaving those two alone is a good idea?” Chrysalis asked as she and Luna headed toward the parking lot, earning a shrug from the blue-haired woman.

“Sunset Shimmer is stubborn, pretty sure that if she so much as  _thought_ I could hear whatever it is she will talk about she would clam up. For what reason? I don't know but I do know that something major is bothering her.” Luna answered “besides, Discord could get  _me_ to open up. Surely he can manage with Sunset.”

“You do realize this is Discord we’re talking about. He probably will cross a line and Celestia will kill him.”

* * *

Discord smirked as he watched Sunset try to figure out the controls on the game system. _Well, she is basically another Luna, though she has a lot more spirit about her. This will be difficult._  He thought as he pressed a combo of buttons on his own controller, making the avatar on screen perform Some kind of fireball type move, which easily defeated her character.

“Wouldn't it be cool to have powers like this?” he prompted “did the beings of your world have abilities like that?” he asked, noticing how she suddenly looked horror-stricken.

“Some did but most just used practical magic.” Sunset answered

Discord chuckled “fire would be practical.” he argued, hoping to get a conversation started though Sunset seemed pretty locked in her thoughts.  _I didn't want to result to this but Luna said she wanted answers since the kid seems to be having panic attacks._ He thought, sighing as he got up and went over to the coffee table.

“You wouldn't mind if I lit some incense, would you? I hate how these RVs always smell so musky.” he knew that this went against every moral and law out there but since when did he follow either of those things outside of work?

“No, go ahead.”

It didn't take long for the sweet scent of the blue petals to fill the air, though Discord noticed that the effects that it had on Sunset were a lot stronger than the ones it had on him. Her eyes began to droop as consciousness began to leave her.  _Thank the gods I used so much of this stuff I’m almost immune to it_

“Tell me about your life before you came here. Tell me who Sunset Shimmer is.” he said, clicking the record button on his phone.  _I just hope this works without any adverse side effects. Zecora did suggest this for Luna back in high school though….and it somewhat worked._

He was brought from his thoughts by the teen’s mumbling.

  
  
  


Sunset could hear the thunder as it rattled the windows of her room and felt her tail curl around her as if involuntarily. She knew that it was pegasi that controlled the weather but that didn't stop her from worrying about stray tornadoes or lightning striking buildings.

Slowly getting out of bed, the young unicorn made her way down the hall and to the stairs, however, she froze as she heard the hushed voices coming from below.

“Sunburst, the truth is Sunset Shimmer isn’t your sister. She is my sister’s daughter. She and her husband left her here with us when they went to Las Pegasus.” She could hear Stellar say, her voice lowering “then the news of the accident came. I was devastated and I couldn't just leave Sunset in an orphanage somewhere.”

“And that makes it okay to play favorites? You always compare her to me, how the hay is that fair?” This time it was Sunburst’s voice

“I do not play favorites! I just want her to have all the opportunities that you have had!”

Sunset could feel tears welling in her eyes as she listened to them.

“The same opportunities? You barely recognize that she’s in the room and it’s starting to mess with her! She doesn't need a warden, she needs a mother!”

“I’m her aunt, not her mother! If my sister didn't have to go searching for a fortune I wouldn't have to pretend that having her here hurts! Do you think it's easy for me when she is a spitting image of my sister, who was a complete abomination to this family!”

Discord’s eyes grew wide as he listened to the girl recall her early years. One part of him wanted to snuff out the flowers and allow the girl’s consciousness to return but she also knew that this may be the only time they could get direct answers.

“I’m sorry Sunset. But can you tell me a little more? About the princess, who was she and what happened there?” he pressed, knowing that he would have to do a hell of a lot of damage control later.

 

Suddenly the scene changed to the inside of the castle, the day she had taken her entrance exam. Sunset felt herself shaking as she stepped forward, glancing down at the seeds that she would have to grow, using nothing but magic.

You can do this. She thought, trying to pretend that the panel of judges and even the Princess herself wasn't there. Taking a deep breath she aimed her horn at the tray in front of her, feeling the mana rise through and out of her body in a short burst as she made the mental command for the plants to grow.

She didn't expect vines to lash out, entangling everything and everypony around her. She took an instinctive step back when she saw the golden glow surround Princess Celestia. Would she be banished? Thrown into a dungeon somewhere? She couldn't help but worry because surely The princess would be angry at the mess that she had caused.

However, suddenly a light chuckle caused her to look up.

“I’m sorry p-princess. I didn't…” Sunset began, though the large white Alicorn cut her off.

“There is no reason to apologize Little one. That is the most talent that I have seen in a very long time. As a matter of fact, I have a proposition for you...How would you like to become my personal student?”

 

The scene suddenly changed to the castle gardens, though Sunset stood off to the side, partially hidden by the shrubs as she watched Celestia and Cadence fly overhead. She knew she shouldn't be intruding on the Princess’s personal time but she couldn't help but watch, the feeling of longing nearly choking her as she heard the laughter coming from the two.

Why can’t I ever get her to smile like that?

Discord saw how Sunset’s face contorted as she spoke, recalling the memories. He was glad that no one else was there, else they would think that the teen was in physical pain. Dumping a bottle of water over the smoking petals he quickly moved to toss the still smoldering petals out of the window, which he left open.

It didn't take long for the oxygen to replace the fumes the burning plants had produced, though as Sunset woke up she became aware of the pounding in her head.  
“What the hell did you do to me?”

Discord had enough common sense to stay well out of the girl’s reach as he answered: “I just tried to get you to relax and open up a bit.”

“By what? What was that you knocked me out with? Some kind of drug? Just what the hell were you planning to do?” she yelled, fists clenching at her sides as she stormed toward him.

“I would never do such a thing!” Discord insisted “I wanted to make it easier to get to know you is all!”

Realization washed over her as the words sank in. “Luna had you do this! You all fucking…”

However, before she could say or do anything farther a voice growled out from the doorway “why in the heck does this place smell like poison joke? Discord what the hell did you do?”


	16. Chapter 16

Sunset had to keep from crying as she whirled around to face the two women who had come in. “You knew this would happen! You planned all of this! What was it? Afraid the freak from another world would turn into a demon again?” She yelled as she turned all of her emotions on Luna.

“I planned for him to get you to relax and open up! Not overdose you on nitrous oxide!” Luna argued though Sunset just scoffed.

“Bullshit! I know what fear is, You’re afraid of me! That is the only reason anyone wants me around! You could have been honest about it besides…” She froze as the familiarity of the words dawned on her then in one swift motion she pushed past Chrysalis and rushed out the door.

Luna glared over at Discord, her expression shifting from the shocked, almost hurt expression to livid a split second. “You were supposed to get her to relax and open up, not whatever the hell you call this!” she almost yelled, causing Discord to flinch back.

“It worked on you when we were in high school.” he protested, earning a scoff

“Yeah, we were eighteen and I agreed to it! The only part about the hypnosis I didn't agree to was Celestia being in the other room! Do you have any idea what you probably just did to the girl! She was a mess for days after the fall formal and Celestia and I just now got her to open up just a tiny bit.” Luna said through clenched teeth as she pulled out her cellphone.

 

“Who are you calling?” Discord asked, earning a sigh

“Celestia. If there is anyone who can calm that kid down it’s her.”

 

Chrysalis rolled her eyes at the two and made her own phone call.

“You two idiots can rely on miss Sunshine and Daisies if you want but my son's friends can find her faster….and they won't screw up.”

* * *

Sunset couldn't believe any of this. Why had she let herself open up to Celestia and Luna so much? She knew it would only get her hurt in the long run, but even now as she walked through the forest she couldn't keep the tears at bay.

 _How could I be so stupid? I let myself start hoping that someone might give a damn but look where that got me!_ She thought as she walked alongside the road leading back into Canterlot. She was angry, not to mention hurt but she couldn't get the look that Luna had sent her when she had blown up on the three.

She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice the motorcycle pull up beside of her “Hey kid, are you lost?”

Even with the voice being muffled under the helmet she could tell the owner was female. “No, I just…” Sunset stopped herself from saying anything else though the bike slowed to a stop.

“You don't seem to be the kind of girl who would hang around this part of town. So what brings you out here Red?”

Sunset debated rather or not to tell the truth but decided against it.

“I’d rather not talk about it.”

 

The motorcycle driver just nodded before dismounting, removing her helmet to reveal dark raspberry colored skin and magenta hair that was shorn into a mohawk. “Huh, yeah been there. Anyway, it’s getting late kid, let me drive you home. This sort of town is dangerous for a little thing such as yourself once night comes.”

 

Sunset hoped that it wasn't obvious that the tall, young woman in front of her intimidated her now that she could see her face, which had a long scar running down the right side, covering one eye. The woman, however, seemed to see through the hesitance and let out a chuckle.

“ Suit yourself but here’s my number. Hang on the bad part of town enough and you’ll appreciate having the connections.” She stated, handing her a piece of paper from her pocket, just as Sunset’s phone began to ring.

“And a word to the wise: if they’re willing to try even after you fuck up multiple times, it usually means they generally care about you in one way or another.”


	17. Chapter 17

Celestia was beyond irritated, although she did her best not to show it around Sunset, who had not really spoken more than three words since she had practically blown up on Luna, who had come by to try to explain. Currently, the teen was playing rift after rift in her guitar upstairs.

Celestia knew that Luna had good intentions with all of this and the younger woman insisted on not knowing about the poison joke, however, one part of her couldn't help _but_ be irritated with her for this whole mess.

Why would she have left Sunset alone with someone like Discord in the first place?

Celestia tried to focus on the novel she was reading, although that proved impossible due to the noise that was coming from upstairs. “ _Well, I suppose I can't complain,” there are more destructive ways to deal with her anger._ She reminded herself.

Even though after an hour the loud noise was beginning to grate onto her last nerve.

Sighing she got up and walked outside, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, figuring that if she tried to talk with Sunset it would go rather badly with her current mood.

Sunset sighed as she put the guitar away, her fingers and wrists cramping from playing continuously for hours. She didn't know what to feel or think. She wouldn't be quick to place the blame on Celestia, who seemed to be just as pissed about this whole thing as she was.

But was Luna as innocent as she claimed to be? She wasn't sure what to think anymore.

 _“I feel terrible about what I said but how am I supposed to feel? I have been lied to my whole life, why would this time be any different?_ She wondered as she sat there for some time, ” Sunset was lost in thought.

Unknown to her there was a knock at the door “Sunset? Can I come in?”

The sudden voice caused her to jolt from her thoughts though she managed to respond with “yeah, it’s unlocked.” _I am lucky she respects my privacy like this._ She thought as Celestia came in, carrying a mug of hot chocolate.

“Since you told me you weren't hungry I figured that at least this would help keep your blood sugar up.” Celestia spoke calmly, earning a hint of a smile as Sunset accepted it.

“Thanks, Ma’am.” Sunset replied quietly as the woman set down beside of her.

“You must think I’m awful, talking to Luna like I did.” she was afraid to know the response she would get, but she knew she had to talk about this with someone, even if it was Celestia.

“You’re angry, I think what you said was natural for the circumstances although your language wasn't ideal.” Celestia answered honestly, a hand carefully rubbing Sunset’s shoulders as she added “How are you doing? Honestly? You seemed pretty upset earlier.”

Sunset sighed as she mulled over if she should try to change the subject or just refuse to respond to the topic, however she couldn't remember the last time someone had cared enough to ask about how she felt.

“I don't even know how I feel right now. I want to believe Luna but I can’t. I have been betrayed and let down so much I just don't know if I should, you know?” Sunset answered after a few minutes.

“Yes, I understand. It must have hurt knowing people you thought you could trust had pulled a stunt like that. Discord did probably have good intentions but he can be quite the idiot on the spectrum of common sense.”

Sunset smirked a bit as she put her drink on the bedside table before she added “more like a complete jackass.”

She was surprised by the soft laugh that came from her teacher, which prompted her to look up, eyes slightly wide in surprise at the smile on Celestia’s face. _The princess would have…No...This Celestia is nothing like the one I grew up with, their only similarities are their generosity and kindness, though the Princess had a limit on that when it came to me._

She felt a familiar bubble of curiosity come over her, though she tried to fight it. _You caused enough trouble Sunset Shimmer, stop being a dumbass._ She scolded herself mentally though after a few minutes of silence she couldn't fight it anymore and leaned against Celestia’s side.

She expected the woman to pull away or at least stiffen up but she didn't expect an arm to wrap around her. “You don't mind this do you?” Sunset couldn't help but ask, only to feel the grip around her tighten.

“Of course not. Why do you ask that?” Celestia asked, taking note of the half-hidden sadness in the girl’s tone. She could feel Sunset go rigid at the question although Sunset answered:

“Most people wouldn’t want someone like me so close to them.” Sunset admitted.

“Sunset Shimmer, I don’t know what you mean about someone like you but do you know what I see in you? A stubborn and very intelligent young lady who works hard to get what she wants. You may have made some mistakes before but that doesn't make you a bad person.”  
Celestia began, pausing a moment as she added.

“And you are a very talented girl, not academically but I've listened to you play that guitar and sing and I’ve seen a glimpse of a very sweet person under all of those layers.” Celestia smiled.


	18. Chapter 18

Sunset sighed as she sent her fist into the pillow again as she tried to figure out how she was going to handle this whole mess. She knew that she wouldn’t be forced to speak to Luna if she didn’t want to but she also knew that would just make living with Celestia even more awkward than it already was.

 _Why is it that I feel like I_ should  _forgive her when I am still so friggin’ angry!_ She wondered bitterly as she slumped down onto the bed, closing her eyes while trying to hold in the emotions that she had building up inside her.  _What the hell should I do? I mean she had to know about Discord's plain right?_

Sighing she buried her face into her hands, wishing that everything was as simple as it had been when she kept everyone at arm’s length. But was simplicity worth the loneliness? She couldn’t help but wonder as she fell back against the mattress with a groan.

Sighing she debated her options. She only had two choices: Go downstairs and Talk to Celestia which would run a risk of her coming face to face with Luna or stay in her room and possibly breaking something.

 _Either way is more trouble than it is worth but I can’t bother the girls with something as stupid as this! I mean they will probably just see it as a sign that I’m not serious about changing and then I would be stuck being alone yet_ again  _and I don’t think I could take that._

Sighing she mulled it over for a few minutes before getting to her feet and heading downstairs, pausing when she heard a strange male voice coming from inside the room.  _I certainly don’t want to meet anyone else’s friends today._  Sunset thought as she tried to make herself unnoticeable in the shadows.

The boy who stood inside Celestia’s living room had green skin and orange hair which made Sunset wonder just what bad luck he had that his skin and hair clashed painfully.  _If everyone has a copy of themselves in my world I wonder who or rather_ what  _he is._ She couldn’t help but wonder as she found herself staring into his violet eyes.

“Hello. Sorry I didn’t see you there. You must be the girl that Celestia adopted. I’m Thorax.”

He said, taking a step toward Sunset, who couldn’t help but stiffen at the sudden introduction.

“I’m Sunset Shimmer. What exactly are you doing here?”

  
  


She wanted to wince at the tone of her own voice though she wouldn’t let her guard down this time. Crossing her arms over her chest she tried to look intimidating, however, she didn’t notice Celestia coming down the hall behind her until she felt something hit her in back of the head.

“Stop interrogating him. He only came by because I agreed to let his older brother have some college textbooks that I didn’t need anymore.” Celestia chided, causing the redhead to blush.

Thorax only chuckled at the pair before saying “Hey, Pharynx is worse than she is on an  _normal_ day. I'm used to it.”

“That I believe…remember I used to babysit you two when you were small.” Celestia chuckled before nudging the still embarrassed teenager before adding “why don’t you have Thorax show you some of the places he and his friends hang out at? I doubt you want to see Luna right now.”

Sunset was almost taken aback by the suggestion, which surprised her since she remembered all too well how many times that the Princess had forced her into situations that had made her both nervous and uncomfortable.

“Um…are you sure?” Sunset questioned, turning toward the aurora-haired woman who just sent her a look that the teen could have sworn that concealed a hint of a smirk.

“Sunset, trust me. If I wasn’t sure I wouldn’t have suggested it.” The principal answered before adding in a teasing whisper “at least he’s your age.”

Sunset sighed as she followed Thorax out of the house, not exactly sure what to say.

“Sorry I was such a bitch back there. You would not believe the day that I have been having.” She said, earning a shrug.

“Don’t worry about it. Try living with two brothers and dealing with Tempest Shadow and her band of bat-brains.”


	19. Chapter 19

Something was up and Sunset knew it, though exactly what it was that Thorax wasn’t telling her, she didn’t know. “Okay, what on earth is going on? People just don’t show up over nearly nothing.” Sunset stated, earning a sigh from the boy.

“My Mom wanted to talk to you. She may or may not have blackmailed me into getting you to come out.” Thorax answered, earning a glare.

“Figures, what does she want?”

Thorax didn’t have time to reply before chrysalis approached them, holding out what looked to be a cell phone. “I figured you would want to hear this. No one heard but Discord recorded everything that you said during Discord’s idiotic idea of hypnosis.”

Sunset was surprised by this, though she slowly accepted the silver device “Feel free to break that thing into a million pieces if you want. He makes enough money to get a new phone.”

 

“Isn’t that a bit harsh?” Thorax questioned, earning a chuckle from the dark skinned woman

“Thorax, you’re too sensitive. Seriously, after what that idiot did, he deserves it.”

Luna sighed as she leaned back onto the couch, pinching the bridge of her nose as she tried to ward off the headache that she felt coming on. “Sis, I know. I screwed up okay? But I swear to you and to whatever god or goddess is out there that I didn’t know he would pull something like this! I mean he is a dumb ass but he usually isn’t  _this_ much of one.”

She complained, earning a sigh from Celestia who looked just as equally stressed out as Luna did. “I know but seriously, you should have seen her. I don’t know what was going on but Sunset just seemed so hurt by this whole thing, like she didn’t know what to think.”

“Thanks for the guilt trip Celestia, I totally needed that.” Luna grumbled before adding “I swear next time I see that slick bastard I am going to knee him right in the…”

Luna was cut off by the sound of the front door slamming shut, followed by a string of muttered curses.

“Sunset? What happened?” Celestia asked as the teen stormed through the living room, ignoring both women as she threw a phone down onto the couch before dashing upstairs.

“Oh geez…Isn’t that Discord’s phone?”

“Whatever that jerk did…I am going to kill him.”

Luna sighed as she turned the object on, only to find a sound file pulled up and played out.

“You might not have to kill him Celestia, it depends on if Sunset or I get to him first.” Luna commented

Celestia glanced down at the phone, taking note that the file had been listened to, at least to a half way mark. “I better go see if she is okay.” She said softly, earning a nod from Luna.

 _How dumb could Discord be? Not only broke her trust but he did something like this to get the answers? Sure I wanted to know why she was so fucking jumpy but I didn’t want this._  Luna thought bitterly, thinking of the redhead and how distraught she had been the night after the fall formal.  _What if whatever it was that night that hit her, made her remember everything?_

“Damn it Discord. I hope you didn’t just fuck her up worse than she was already.” Luna muttered to no one.


	20. Chapter 20

“I guess you listened to the audio file.” Celestia heard Sunset say as soon as she opened the door after not getting a response from the teen. However, Celestia only sighed and shook her head.

“No, whatever Discord recorded is for  _you_  to decide who and when to tell. I am not about to go snooping through your business just because I am curious about who Sunset Shimmer really is.” Celestia answered honestly as she moved to sit down beside her on the bed.

Even in the dim light of the room, Celestia could tell Sunset was crying. “Now you want to tell me what happened? Because I have a feeling Chrysalis is behind most of this and I already want to punch Discord for what he did.”

Sunset couldn’t help but chuckle at the thought of the benevolent principal hitting anyone, though she had seen how the Princess could react at times. But Principal Celestia was so different than the Princess, that it was hard to see them as the same person anymore.

“Chrysalis just gave me his phone and showed me the recording.” Sunset sniffled, trying to get control over her emotions although the memories that she had tried to suppress for years seemed to be repeated in a loop in her mind.

“It just…I wish I could just forget everything! When I came through the portal I wanted to start over, or at least a part of me did!”

Sunset exclaimed suddenly, fists turning pale as she gripped the pillow that she had been holding even tighter.  _Why did I have to be stupid as a kid? Why did I have to want all those impossible things? I knew that my parents were dead and that my aunt and uncle didn’t really want me so why did I dare think that_ anyone  _else would see_ something  _special in me? Something that they could be proud of me for besides all the constant disappointment that I seemed to always felt!_  She thought bitterly, not even noticing the arms wrapping around her until Celestia finally spoke.

“I wish I could take this pain from you because I would much rather feel all the pain that you are feeling now than to see you be so upset.”

Sunset couldn’t help it, with the combo of the emotions that were running rampant inside her heart combined with the soothing tone of her teacher something compelled her to turn and hug the woman tightly. Closing her eyes tightly she tried to ignore the painful feeling in her heart as Celestia’s arms tightened around her.

 _Why does she care so much? She doesn’t have to. I’m just an alien who literally came into this world by chance._ The unicorn turned teenager thought bitterly, though she was afraid to know the answer.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” She managed to sob, her voice sounding distant to her own ears as she buried her face into the woman’s shoulder.

Celestia could feel the girl trembling with every breath, though her words confused her though she just shushed the girl as she tried to help her calm down.

“Sorry for what Sunset? You haven’t done anything wrong.”She asked once the teen’s sobs had lessened somewhat.

“Yes, I have! I keep making everyone’s lives miserable! I did it in Equestria and I am doing it again here! Sometimes I wish that the blast the night of the fall formal had killed me! At least then I would have been out of everyone’s way!” Sunset said, her voice breaking several times as she pulled away and put some distance between them suddenly.  _You’re starting to do it again. Wanting to get too close, it always starts with just wanting to talk then it turns into more hope and longing and you end up landing on your face completely alone again!_ Sunset mentally scolded herself, not even noticing that Celestia had gotten up from the bed until the aurora-haired woman had knelt down in front of her.

“Sunset,” Celestia’s sharper tone broke Sunset from her thoughts and caused her to jolt slightly “You are not making anyone miserable and I don’t want you to ever think about yourself that lowly.” Celestia continued, maintaining eye contact with the teen who quickly glanced away, tears beginning to well up again.

“Maybe not now but I will…I always do! Aunt Stellar and the Princess both eventually said they wished they never agreed to take me in!”

Celestia had thought that she had been angry with Discord, but upon hearing those words out of Sunset’s mouth the Principal felt her blood begin to boil.

“Then they are idiots.”

Sunset looked back at her then, eyes growing wide in surprise “what?” she asked softly, having never heard the princess of the sun spoken about in such a way.

“They’re idiots. I very much doubt that you were any more mischievous or ill-mannered than any other child your age.”

One part of Sunset wanted to argue, to defend the princess by mentioning everything that she had done from sneaking into the forbidden section to the lesser offenses that she had committed however Celestia suddenly spoke again, her voice still holding the firm but friendly tone.

“Sunset, tell me why they told you that.”

Swallowing hard the teen glanced down, the memories resurfacing along with the emotions that she had felt during those days.

“I accidentally caught a skillet on fire while trying to fix Stellar breakfast for mother’s day. I think that was the last time I went home for anything.” Sunset whispered, hoping that her new guardian wouldn’t press her into talking about what had happened between her and Princess Celestia.

 _What the hell is wrong with those people….Ponies…Whatever you want to call them? No child deserves to be treated like that, even if Sunset could have been a handful which I don’t doubt given that attitude of hers._ Celestia thought as she reached out to brush some hair away from Sunset’s face.

“Sunset Shimmer, I can promise you that no one will speak to you in such a way here. I don’t know what on earth was going on in those people…Err…Ponies minds but I can promise you this: You will always have a home here and nothing will change that. I care about you too much.”

Sunset couldn’t help but hug the woman yet again, though this time the tears weren’t from the betrayal and sadness that she felt.

“Thank you.” She managed to mutter, though the only response she got was a kiss pressed to her temple.

_I don’t know what is going on in that head of hers but I do know that if I ever get to send a letter to that so-called princess I will give her a piece of my mind! No one should be spoken to in such a way, let alone a young child! Who knows what else happened to Sunset that she isn’t telling me. She is afraid to even touch me like I’ll just push her away or even hit her if she was to come too close. Not to mention the fact that she rarely could make eye contact with me for those first few weeks. Princess or not, whatever happened was inexcusable._


	21. Chapter 21

Sunset wondered if she was making a mistake as she followed Celestia downstairs. She wasn’t sure if Luna was telling the truth or not about not having any involvement with Discord’s plan, however, she also felt like total shit for how she had spoken to her the day before.  _What if she doesn’t forgive me? What if I messed up too badly?_ The questions started to fill her mind again. However, before she could chicken out she found that she was being pushed slightly toward the living room.

“Miss Luna? May I talk to you?” She winced at how pitiful her own voice sounded, though even she couldn’t hide the nervousness that she felt as she gripped at the sleeves of her pajama top, trying to regain some form of composure before she completely gave into her nerves.

 _What if she is mad after what I said to her? What if what I said was unforgivable?_ She worried, watching as the woman turned her attention toward her.  _I wish I could tell what she is thinking; I wish she would say something even if it isn’t what I want to hear._

 

“I thought we agreed to drop the formalities?” Luna said nonchalantly but Sunset couldn’t help but smile as she heard the familiar words.

“Sorry,” Sunset began, glancing away as she added “actually I came down here to apologize for how I acted the other day. I should have let you explain besides flying off the handle like I did.”

 

Sunset didn’t dare to make eye contact as she waited for a response, though to her surprise Luna chuckled slightly, causing her to look up.

“Kid, if you didn’t get angry is when I would have worried. Yes, I will admit that some of the words hurt however I can only imagine how hurt and angry that it made you to be forced to go through all of that left you.”

Sunset wasn’t sure what she should do now, having had little social interaction like this as a filly had left its mark. Sure she had learned how to read people’s body language and behavior but Luna had  _always_ been hard to read and now it seemed like it was even harder.

“I still shouldn’t have said half of that though.” She muttered, praying to whatever higher power out there that she didn’t sound disrespectful in any way.

“And how many of us have said things that we did not mean? Sunset, what you did isn’t unforgivable. If anything I should be apologizing for letting you stay in a room alone with that idiot. I know he would never hurt you but what he did was just as bad.”

Luna saw Sunset shift uncomfortably at that, though what concerned her was the tearstains on her face.  _Hopefully Celestia got you to talk about whatever it was that made you so upset._ She thought as she stood, closing the distance between the two of them in just a few strides.

Sunset felt herself shrink back as the woman came to a stop in front of her however despite the fact that everything inside of her warning her not to do anything stupid that could offend the woman however as soon as she a hand rest on her shoulder she found herself timidly stepping forward, hugging the woman.

 _She won’t push you away._ Sunset reminded herself as she felt Luna shift slightly.However any fears she had vanished as she felt arms carefully wrap around her.

“I’m so sorry.” She choked out for what felt like the millionth time since the dance.

“Shh Sunset. it's okay. No one is angry with you.”

As Celestia watched her sister try to comfort the teen she couldn’t help but think about what she had been told.  _The poor girl was basically told that she wasn’t wanted and I don’t even want to know the real reason why she is so hesitant just to touch someone._

“Miss. Celestia?” the sudden voice snapped out of her thoughts.

“Huh? What is it Sunset?”

Sunset bit her lip as she made a snap decision on what to do.  _She said if I needed to talk to her that I could…about anything. Maybe I should talk to her…Maybe Luna is right that I need to open up with someone. But what if it’s like when I tried to talk to the princess? What if she thinks it’s inappropriate for a student to talk with their teacher about these sorts of things?_

“I want to talk to you about what Discord recorded…You and Luna.” She forced herself to say, her heart once again hammering in her ears “if that’s okay with you that is.”


	22. Chapter 22

Sunset wasn’t sure that she wanted to do this because it meant not only laying bare everything that she had kept bottled up inside her for years, having never really spoken about the memories to anyone but Sunburst on rare occasions when they were both still very young.

“You know that you don’t have to tell us anything that you don’t want to.” Celestia said softly, earning a nod.

“I know but it’ll probably come up eventually so I might as wells tell you now and get it over with.” Sunset’s response didn’t make the older woman feel any better about having this conversation.

“First off,” Sunset began as she began to fiddle with one of the buttons on the front of her pajama top “My parents were Solar wind and Sunspot. However, I never got to know them. They died in a train crash on the way to Las Pegasus when I was just a baby.”

Sunset paused before closing her eyes, trying to give herself the courage to tell them what she felt she needed to.

“I grew up in a place called Sires Hallow with my aunt and uncle and cousin but I didn’t know that they weren’t my parents until I was five years old.” Sunset began, sighing as she glanced toward the large picture window that looked out toward the road. “They never told me not to call them Mom and Dad so I grew up calling them that. Imagine how it felt when I not only learned they weren’t my parents but was told I suddenly had to start calling them by the  _proper_ terms.”

Sunset couldn’t help but tear up as she remembered that particular conversation, which had ended in an argument with her aunt. “She didn’t even seem happy about me becoming the Princess’s student. She just started stressing me out about not screwing up. I mean, if she had even tried to support me besides always criticizing I wouldn’t have minded so much but I could never just  _talk_  with her.”

Celestia moved to wrap an arm around the teen’s shoulders while Luna sat across the room, clenching her fists so hard that her knuckles were turning pale.  _What the hell? This is fucked up_. Luna thought as she listened to Sunset who continued to talk.

“I had already felt like I was just some kind of bother to her and my Uncle. I mean, it was obvious that they cared more about Sunburst than me and it got worse after he made friends with this filly that lived in town. I spent most of my time back then alone, reading or drawing. I tried to make friends but it was difficult with living in my cousin’s shadow and well…My magical outbursts didn’t help.”

“Magical outbursts?” Celestia repeated quizzically, earning a chuckle.

“Right, you have no idea what I’m talking about. Unicorns born with a lot of magical talent can’t control it when they are young, which results in some quite embarrassing things like shooting a fireball on accident while sneezing.”

Sunset chuckled a bit at that particular memory before sighing “Anyway, after I got accepted into the School for gifted unicorns I thought it would get better but most students were intimidated by me because I was the Princess’s private student. As if that really mattered to a seven-year-old who wanted to spend the weekend goofing off besides reading.”

“What about this  _Princess_  of yours? What was she like?” Luna prompted, taking notice of how the girl stiffened at the question.

“She was great…really. I mean, she was kind and put her people first.” Sunset answered though something about her tone made Luna skeptical if that was the whole truth.

“Perhaps she was a good ruler, however, I fail to see how she was a good teacher. “ Celestia said, remembering how the girl had said she had been spoken to.

“She was…really. It’s not her fault that I kept screwing up.”


	23. Chapter 23

_She was a good teacher; I mean…She was the princess. She didn’t have time for me to bother her with all the childish tomfoolery that I was constantly trying to engage her in. I mean, I should have known better. I mean, Cadence was a princess…That’s the only reason that she got to be so close with Princess Celestia._

_“_ Sunset, from what little you’ve told me that…Whatever…Didn’t know how to deal with a child let alone teach one.” Celestia’s voice snapped her from her thoughts, causing her to want to argue with the woman however one look into the sympathetic eyes caused the words to die in her throat.

 _But I was the one with stupid thoughts; she would have never gotten angry with me if I hadn’t wanted the impossible._ Sunset thought, though she didn’t dare argue with the woman.

“Sunset, tell me the best memory that you have of the Princess.” Luna said, earning a dirty look from Celestia who obviously didn’t want to force the teen into telling them anything.

Sunset thought about it, shuffling through the memories that she had of the mare that had practically raised her. “Well there was this one time; it was during my first few months as her student.I was a bit homesick and couldn’t sleep. She actually set up with me that night until I finally passed out.”

 _She sounds like she still can’t believe that happened._  Luna noted as she shared a look with Celestia before saying: “thank you for telling us all of this Sunset. It couldn’t be easy.”

Celestia couldn’t sleep, her mind lingering on the teenager that was currently sleeping down the hall.  _I am going to kill Discord for bringing all of this back up for her. I just hope that we didn’t make her feel like she had to tell us anything._  She thought as she turned her attention back toward the TV.

“Miss. Celestia?”

Turning her attention toward the stairway, Celestia was surprised to see the usually confident teenager standing by the stairway, trembling slightly.

“What’s wrong?” Celestia responded, turning her complete attention to Sunset, who glanced away with a blush.

“I was wondering… Can I stay up with you for a little while? I mean…I understand if you would rather spend this time alone but I thought….It wouldn’t hurt to ask.” Sunset replied, biting her lip as she glanced up at her makeshift guardian.

Celestia hated the pleading look in those teal eyes.

“How about you go into my room and find a movie on the TV in there? I’ll be up in a minute.” Celestia suggested, earning a surprised look though the teen just gave a shy smile at that.

“Thanks.” Was the only thing that the red-head had managed to say before heading back up the stairs.  _I hope that I’m not overstepping some unspoken boundaries here…I just don’t want to be alone tonight._ The unicorn turned human thought worriedly as she entered the master bedroom.

 _But if I did, she wouldn’t invite me into her room. Would she? I mean, she and Luna were so caring earlier today, even after how I’ve been acting._ She thought as she glanced around the room before taking a seat on the bed.

 _For a house this big and fancy on the outside, her room is rather simple._  Sunset thought, remembering the elegance of the Princess’s chambers back in Equestria.

“You know, you’re different than I imagined.” Sunset couldn’t help but say when the woman entered the room, earning a slightly bemused look as the woman took a seat beside her.

“And what did you think I would be like?”

 _And how do you tell someone that the person they have been getting so ticked off at is an alternative version of them?_ “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.” Sunset responded, earning a sigh from the aurora-haired woman.

“Let me guess, the  _other_ me acts differently?”

Sunset winced at that and nodded “Yeah, she does.”

Celestia could tell that this wasn’t exactly something that Sunset was comfortable talking about so she let it drop and instead motioned for Sunset to sit farther up on the bed, chuckling at her confused look.

“Well I don’t care how the other me acts, I’m not her.” Celestia stated before adding “Now make yourself comfortable. I didn’t invite you in here just for you to act like you were on trial.”

A comfortable silence passed over them as they sat there, the only sound in the room is the TV, although Sunset’s attention wasn’t on the screen, but on her own thoughts.  _Is this what it’s like having a family? I mean, I know I technically have family that is still alive but the last time I remember my aunt and uncle doing anything like this with me was when I was barely more than a foal._

Closing her eyes for a second she let her mind wonder, not even noticing that she had subconsciously leaned against her guardian until she felt fingers begin to rake gently through her hair.

“If you keep that up I might fall asleep.” She warned, hearing the chuckle from the Principal

“It’s okay if you do. I’m sure this bed is big enough for both of us.”


	24. Chapter 24

_Did I fall asleep in here? When in Tartarus did I become this needy? I wasn’t even this clingy as a foal!_  Sunset thought as soon as she had woke up the next morning, finding herself tangled in pastel-colored blankets.

_I hope she really doesn’t mind…I mean…I’ve only been living here for what? Three weeks? Maybe? I probably crossed some boundary last night but….I can’t say it wasn’t worth it. The nightmares didn’t keep me up all night like they normally do._

She thought as she climbed out of bed, mentally trying to prepare herself for whatever awaited her downstairs.  _Maybe if I’m lucky she’ll just remind me that nothing between us can change and that this was a onetime thing. Maybe she won’t be too angry?_

Sunset knew deep down that she was over-thinking things a bit, that perhaps Principal Celestia wouldn’t mind the intrusion of privacy that much, after all, she had said that the bed was big enough for them both. But even with that in mind, what-if scenarios still began to play through her thoughts.

_Maybe I can get by with just grabbing something from the café and meeting up with one of the other girls? I mean, Rainbow Dash did say something yesterday morning about wanting to do something for the showcase that is supposed to happen after the holidays._

However, that hope died as soon as she walked into the kitchen, finding a tired looking Celestia sitting at the table nursing a cup of coffee.

“I…I didn’t keep you up all night did I?” Sunset managed to stammer out as she took notice of the rings under her mentor’s eyes.

“No Sunset, you didn’t. But we need to talk.”

_Here it comes._

“Did I do something wrong? I-I’m sorry! Please don’t…”

Celestia didn’t give her time to finish that sentence, moving to put her arms around the trembling teen.

“No Sunset, you’ve done nothing wrong.” The older woman tried to assure, though she wasn’t sure how to explain exactly what it was about, especially since it was something that Sunset had tried to keep hidden from her.

“T-Then what is it?”

Celestia hated how frightened the teen sounded.

“Sunset, why didn’t you tell me who the princess was?” Celestia asked calmly, earning a wide-eyed look from the redhead.

“What do you mean?”

The principal could hear the panic in the former unicorn’s tone.

“Sunset, you talk in your sleep. I don’t even want to know what you were dreaming about, because you kept calling out to the princess.”

Sunset glanced down as she heard this “So you know that she is….Your alternative self?” She asked her in a voice barely above a whisper.

“Sunset, is that why you were so afraid to get into trouble with me? Because the Princess could be harsh? I know you don’t want to talk about it and I won’t force you but I think it would help both of us.”

Sunset sighed then, closing her eyes and pulling away though she wrapped her arms around herself as she began to speak, her voice quivering slightly as she forced out the words “I was afraid you would kick me out. I know I’m expendable, just like I was with the Princess.”

Celestia was at a loss for words; however, before she could manage to say or do anything Sunset spoke again.

“At first the princess made me feel special. like I really had found my place and for once I was happy. I wasn’t only  _the best_ at magic but I finally had someone who cared about me. But then I saw how she acted around Cadence.”

Sunset closed her eyes as she continued softly

“With me, the princess didn’t tolerate much. I tried to pull a Nightmare Night prank once when I was ten. I got in trouble for a simple confetti bomb but Cadence could get by with the same thing. I mean I get that I was  _just_ a normal unicorn but I mean, doesn’t she realize how unfair she was being? It’s not like I did it in front of a group of delegates or something.”

_Note to self, When Cadence comes over to make sure that Sunset is included in the conversation as much as possible. Just what the heck was the other me thinking?_

“But what was worse was that Cadence was exactly like me, a Pegasus with no one but an adopted family. I didn’t even have visitors but yet Princess Celestia wouldn’t let me within a wingspan. If it wasn’t school work related she wanted nothing to do with and onceI grew bored with basic magic she wouldn’t let me go on to the more advanced, saying I wasn’t ready.”

Celestia heard how the teen’s voice wavered from time to time, though Sunset’s expression remained stoic.

“Besides explaining it to me, she just started pushing me to stop my studies and make more friends. However when I tried to tell her how hard it was for me to just talk to other ponies my age…She just said for me to try harder. I did try…But I failed. Just like I failed at everything and why she replaced me!”

“Sunset Shimmer.”

The soft voice called Sunset out of her thoughts, causing her to look up at this world’s Celestia, her eyes shining with unshed tears.

“You are not a failure. Sure, you made mistakes but I think the real failure was the princess for trying to treat a child as an adult.”

"But I betrayed her trust...I broke into the room the mirror was stored in...I..." Sunset began to argue, only to feel a hand gently lift her chin to make her make eye contact.

"Sunset, of course, you lashed out. Anyone would if they felt like they were basically pushing a brick wall. I dare say that everything that has happened was just as much that princess's fault as it was yours if not more so."


	25. Chapter 25

Sunset sighed as she sat in one of the band rooms, watching Rainbow Dash discussed what they would be doing for the Musical Showcase in the upcoming months. The group of girls was discussing plans while Sunset sat off to the side of the room, sketchbook in her lap while she tried to ignore the fact that her so-called, new found friends were practically ignoring her.

“What in the heck? I swear people are losing their fucking minds.” Rainbow Dash suddenly exclaimed, causing Sunset to look up.

“Rainbow Dash! Must you talk like such a vagrant?” Rarity said, earning an eye roll from the athlete.

“sorry but it’s true! Look at this post on the Jabberverse forums!” she argued

“What is it?” Sunset asked, watching as Rarity looked disgusted at what was written on the screen.

“Oh darling, you don’t want to see this.” Rarity said, earning a sigh from the flame-haired girl.

“Guys, I know that everyone is talking about me in one way or another. It can’t get any worse than what they have been putting inside my locker!” Sunset said, though as soon as she saw the words she instantly regretted it.

“Are you okay?” Fluttershy asked, watching as the usually strong girl’s eyes filled with tears.

“No, I’m not.” Came the answer, before Sunset managed to choke out “I have to go.”

Once she was out of the room Rainbow Dash glanced over at the others

“That girl is hiding something! She has been disappearing at the weirdest times!"

* * *

Luna knew something was wrong as soon as she walked into Celestia’s office only to find her sitting in total darkness with only the dim light from her laptop illuminating the room. “Uh-Oh, what happened now? First, you agreed to help me finish the rest of this paperwork on a Saturday besides asking Raven to do it and now this.”

The younger woman asked, wincing as she heard the sound of what she hoped was a door slamming down the hall.

“Anyway, while no one needs us to supervise one of the after-school clubs or Saturday detention tell me what’s up. I know this probably has something to do with a certain flame-haired girl.”

Celestia glanced up, knowing that her sister wouldn’t stop bugging her until she actually told her what had happened that morning.

“Sunset and I had a talk this morning about the princess. How Sunset was treated under her was inexcusable! I don’t think I’ve ever been so angry at someone I had never met.” Celestia confessed, earning a questioning look from Luna who turned a nearby chair around and took a seat on it backward.

“Do you think I need to see if Doctor Hooves has an opening? I know she isn’t going to trust Discord after that shit he pulled….a matter a fact I don’t even trust Discord after that.” Luna asked, earning a sighed from Celestia.

“I want to talk it over with Sunset first. I don’t want her thinking that we’re pressuring her into anything. She already feels like she failed at everything, I don’t want to add to that.”

Luna nodded just as Sunset came into the room, slamming the door behind her.

“You know if you keep taking spite out on that thing we’re going to end up having to replace the glass.” Luna quipped, watching as the teen slid down into the chair beside the door.

“I’m not in the mood Luna.”

Both women shared a look at that before Celestia spoke.

“Want to talk about it?” she questioned, earning a surprised look before Sunset let out a soft

“No.”

They allowed Sunset to sit in silence for some time, carrying on a conversation about the various paperwork that still had to be done until the redhead finally decided to speak, her voice coming out as barely a whisper

“Get on Jabberverse. Rainbow Dash showed me the topic they posted about me on there.”

The two sisters shared a look at that before Luna stood.

“I think I need to go call a certain hacker to see if a certain website can’t be shut down prematurely….Or at least a post deleted.” She stated before leaving the room.

Celestia sighed as she was left alone with the girl, who had been acting strange ever since their talk that morning. Sighing she stood and walked over to the girl, who seemed too lost in thought to notice her.

“Sunset? Are you sure you don’t want to talk about it? It might help.”

She prompted gently, only for Sunset to shake her head.

“What’s there to talk about? Every bit of it is true.”

Sunset instantly regretted those words when she saw the look on the principal’s face.

“Now that’s enough of that. You have made a fair share of mistakes but I am sure that not all of what they are saying is true.”

Sunset didn’t respond, though she couldn’t help but to think how wrong Celestia was. However, it was hard to argue with someone who had been patient and overall just caring about her beyond that that was expected of a teacher to a student, let alone a troublemaker like she had been.

“Sunset…Please look at me.” Celestia began after a while, prompting the teenager to look at her“I may not know what was said however I know what I see when I look at you and I  _know_ that you aren’t that demon or whatever else they have said. Please don’t let them get to you, Luna and I will do our best to figure out who is behind these forum posts but I need you to start trying to open up with us okay?”

Sunset didn’t want to lie nor did she want to disappoint her mentor so she managed to force out a meek

“Okay.”

Celestia debated with herself for a brief moment before she leaned forward, pressing her lips against the redhead’s forehead.


	26. Chapter 26

Sunset winced as Pinkie Pie exclaimed something, though all the former unicorn could hear was a loud noise coming from her mouth in a wave of word vomit.  _How can anyone understand what she is saying when she gets like that?_  She wondered, earning a chuckle from Applejack who was sitting next to her.

“Don’t worry, ya get used to it. She basically wants to have a Halloween party.” The blonde explained earning a confused look.

“Um…Okay, I never really celebrated human holidays so how exactly do you Celebrate Halloween? Isn’t that just a holiday for like little kids to get candy? I mean sprayed silly string all over Vice Principal Luna’s driveway last year but that was about it.” Sunset admitted, earning a gasp from the pink haired girl.

“What? They didn’t have Halloween in your world?”

Sunset winced at that before sighing “uh no. I mean we had nightmare night but that was mostly a kid’s holiday where kids would dress up and get candy. But I doubt you guys leave half of your candy at statues in town in order to ward off evil spirits.”

She almost facepalmed when everyone gave her weird looks, so she quickly explained

“That’s the story they tell little kids anyway, they actually gather up all the candy and donate it to the children hospitals.”

Pinkie’s eyes grew wide than before exclaiming “That’s the perfect idea Sunset!”

The redhead in question was confused by this “uh…What is Pinkie?”

“Why we can spend Halloween handing out candy to the kids in the hospital in town! We can all dress up and go around to each of the rooms!”

This earned a nod from the others.

“That’s a great idea! I have a great vampire costume that I can wear!”

“Ooh is it the one I made you last year for the haunted house?” Rarity questioned, earning a smirk.

“Hey, you made me look totally awesome! Of course, it is!”

“Oh by the way Sunset, Do you have any ideas for your costume? I bet I can make you one that will make you look as scary or fabulous as you want!”

Sunset bit her lip; unsure as to if she even wanted to try to participate in this holiday.

“Uh…No, I haven’t even thought about it. I don’t usually celebrate anything. I mean, I didn’t exactly have any friends and well, I never exactly had a family to force me into anything either.” She admitted, earning a look from Pinkie Pie that clearly said she was planning something.

“Well you have a family now; I mean you mentioned having a guardian now.” Rainbow began, earning a groan from Sunset who leaned back onto the table she was sitting on.

“Don’t remind me. I still haven’t got my phone back, Like I know I screwed up but I haven't played Turbo Overdrive since last week! My record is gonna be ruined!”

Everyone shared a chuckle at the other girl’s comment.

“You know, it’s kinda strange seeing you act like a normal person. I mean, you were so busy being a bossy asshole that no one really got to know who you really are.” Rainbow Dash stated before adding sheepishly “No offense. But you were pretty nasty.”

Sunset let out a sigh at that and shrugged “none taken. I know I was.”

“Anyway, let’s leave most of the planning to Pinkie. Right now let’s see how good you are at Dusk and Dawn! I need someone who’s good at games to be my partner on an online battle!”

“Oh, you are so on! I call the mage!”

Sunset didn’t know what she was expecting when she got home that evening, but seeing a yellow and red macaw flying around the room with Luna’s cap in its talons wasn’t it. “Uh…What is going on?” She asked, biting back a laugh as Luna chased the bird around the room.

“Luna agreed to help me get some stuff together but Philomena got out of her cage and…well you see how well those two are getting along.” Celestia answered, not even trying to keep from laughing at her sister’s plight.

“Give that back you damned bird! I swear when I get my hands on you I’m going to turn you into barbeque!”

Sunset let out a laugh then, earning a dirty look from the blue-haired woman “yeah laugh and see if I will help you if she ever steals something of yours!” Luna said, eyes narrowing slightly however whatever effect she wanted it to have failed when the large bird dropped her cap and landed on her hair.

“Celestia, get this damn thing off me before she decides to crap on me again!”

“Again?” Sunset couldn’t help but repeat, earning a look.

“Don’t you start Miss. Shimmer, I’d rather forget about that thank you!” Luna stated as Celestia removed the bird from her person.

“Sorry but you have to admit it is pretty funny.”

Celestia risked a glance at the bickering pair, smiling slightly to herself as she watched the interaction. Sunset seemed to have been in a better mood than she had been earlier that day, although one part of her had to wonder what it had been that had upset the teen so badly.

“Can I trust you two not to kill each other while I go upstairs?” Celestia questioned, chuckling as both of them practically glared at her.

“And now I have two of you I have to deal with.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so now I finally got this caught up (I kept forgetting to update on here) anyway, now that it's caught up it will be updated at least once daily now (as long as my internet holds up because the rain has been killer here)


	27. Chapter 27

Celestia wasn’t sure what had woke her up, though she knew that the clock read three thirty. Slowly getting out of bed she headed toward the stairs and saw the kitchen light on. Keeping quiet as she came downstairs she was surprised to find Sunset rummaging through the cabinets.

“Sunset? What are you doing?” She asked, watching as the girl stiffened up before turning toward her, hands folding behind her as she shifted her gaze.

“Sorry. Did I wake you?”

Celestia was too tired to deal with this, though she made herself to have patience with the teen. 

“I don’t think so. Now what was you looking for?” Celestia asked, suppressing a yawn “it’s three in the morning.”

Sunset wrecked her brain for some excuse, something that she could say that wouldn’t land her into even more trouble than she had already been in that month. However nothing came to mind so she forced herself to say the words:

“I couldn’t sleep.”

It didn’t even answer Celestia’s question and she hoped that the woman wouldn’t push even farther.

“Sunset, you have said you’ve had difficulty sleeping lately. Do you have nightmares?” Celestia asked, reaching out to brush a strain of sweat soaked hair out of the girl’s face only to feel her lean into the touch.

“Yeah, I mean I know I should be able to go back to sleep…I know it’s just my mind but…” Sunset began as she pulled away not wanting to appear needy or clingy.

“Why don’t I fix us some tea? Perhaps that will help you calm down.”

Sunset barely manage a nod as she stumbled her way toward the table, taking a seat.

 

Celestia chuckled when she found Sunset flipping through a cookbook that had been sitting on the table.

“Find something you want to try?” she asked, earning a blush from the former pony who just shrugged

“I needed to preoccupy my mind somehow.”

 

 

A heavy silence fell over them, however suddenly Sunset spoke up, her voice wavering slightly as she said “Um…Celestia? Can I ask you something?”

Celestia was surprised by the lack of formality in her tone, though she didn’t point it out “you just did, didn’t you?”

This earned a small smile from the younger female who glanced down at her tea before asking

“Can I invite the girls over here for a sleepover sometime? I mean…We have the room and I swear I’ll clean everything up and I’m sure that the others won’t say anything and I already told Trixie…” Sunset began, earning a chuckle.

“Stop before you worry yourself sick. Its fine Sunset, I never said you couldn’t have people over.” Celestia answered with a soft smile before adding “I expect you to have visitors and phone calls. This is your **_home_** not a _prison_.”

 

Home, that was a word that Sunset still wasn’t use to thinking in terms of. She still wasn’t sure how to be human, let alone how to interact on a personal level with anyone let alone the woman who had became her appointed guardian.

“Thanks, the girls were thinking about having a Halloween thing but…I am nervous about that. I mean, people think that I’m some kind of demon anyway and I’m afraid to know what people would do if they caught me out.” Sunset confessed after a few minutes of just getting lost in thought.

“Have you told them that? I am sure they would understand.” Celestia stated, watching as the yellow-skinned girl hung her head.

“I’m afraid they won’t want to invite me to anything anymore if I say anything. They are only my friends because of Twilight Sparkle anyway!”

The principal sighed as she reached over and gently squeezed the teen’s hand.

“Just tell them the truth. I will say this, if they get mad over something like this then they aren’t worth being friends with in the first place.” 

 

 


	28. Chapter 28

Celestia knew that something was wrong when Sunset didn’t come downstairs before afternoon, however when she went upstairs she wasn’t expecting to find the girl laying curled on her side beneath the covers, expression twisted in pain even though she was asleep.

“Sunset Shimmer?” She called, gently shaking the girl, earning a grumbled response that she couldn’t understand before the teen opened her eyes.

“Ugh, what is it?” she whined as she sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

“I was worried about you, you usually are out of bed before now even with sleep deprivation.” Celestia answered, earning a confused look from the teen who glanced over at the alarm clock on the table before groaning.

“It’s that late? Dang….I didn’t mean to sleep in this late!”

Celestia chuckled at the internal freak-out that the teen was having however when the girl stood up the light hearted atmosphere changed as Sunset stood, stumbling forward as if she had been tripped.

“ Sunset? Are you okay?”

Celestia asked, grabbing hold of the teen who glanced up sheepishly.

“Yeah I’m fine. My head’s just a bit fuzzy this morning.”

 

Celestia’s eyes narrowed as she helped the teen back onto the bed.

“And do you have any idea why you would be so off balance?” she asked, watching as the redhead hung her head so that she didn’t meet the older woman’s gaze.

“No.”

She lied, though she could feel the look intensify.

“Sunset, I need to know the truth.”

Her voice was measured, though dripping with disappointment at the teen’s attempt at a lie.

“Okay, fine. I have been taking something to help me sleep and I may have taken two pills last night besides one.” Sunset confessed, bracing herself for whatever lecture that Celestia came up with.

“What medicine? Where is the bottle Sunset?”

The woman said instead of anything Sunset was expecting.

“in the top drawer in the dresser.” Sunset answered, not looking up as she heard the woman rummage around, only looking up when she heard the woman speak again.

“Okay, now I know I need to lock all medicine up from you. Now, right now I want you to come downstairs with me, you can sleep on the couch after I get some food in you and hopefully it helps your body deal with the medicine.”  

 

 _Why didn’t she just tell me that she is having trouble sleeping? Why is she risk her health like this when she didn’t understand the consequences of what she was doing?_ Celestia wondered as she lead the shamefaced girl out of the room and down the stairs.

“Sunset, you’re lucky that two tablets are only fifty milligram and that is the full adult dose. You’re basically just drunk because you’re body isn’t use to that high of a dose. We will talk about this later, after you’re not groggy.”

Celestia said as she helped the girl sit down on the couch before disappearing into the kitchen, returning with  a plate of eggs of toast.

“I’m not hungry.” Sunset stated, earning a look that reminded her of her old mentor though besides a stern retort the only thing that Celestia did was push the plate into her hands.

“Either eat or you can listen to my rant now.”

Celestia almost chuckled when the teen began to eat almost instantly after she had said that.

 _I don’t want to hurt the poor girl anymore than she has already been hurt but this is ridiculous, she could have killed herself without even realizing that was what she was doing!_  She thought as she took a seat beside the teen, who glanced up at her wearily.

“I guess I can forget about getting my phone back for the rest of the week, can’t I?”

Celestia sighed, knowing that this was delicate situation.

“We’ll see, after you eat and get over the side effects.” Celestia answered, her tone firm but not unfriendly as she reached over and ran a hand through the messy, tangled mass of hair.

“What were you thinking? You had me worried.”

 

Sunset blushed and glanced down “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to worry anyone. But that was the only thing I could figure out how to make myself sleep without having nightmares.” She answered timidly

 

“Sunset, when you have a hard time sleeping you can always come to get me. “ the principal reminded her lightly, careful to keep her tone level and not accusing “I know you are used to doing things on your own _but_ you don’t have to face every single problem alone.”

“I’m no foal! I should be handle a bunch of stupid nightmares.” Sunset retorted, earning a sigh as she set the now empty plate onto the coffee table in front of them “I don’t need someone to hold my hand every second of every day.”

Celestia just sighed, shaking her head at the girl as she debated what to say.

“Sunset, no one is saying that you can’t handle it on your own. I am just saying that if it gets too much you don’t have to. You have people that care about you.”

Sunset bit her lip as she glanced down at the floor, trying to keep the turbulent emotions that she felt from leaking into her response.  

“Yeah, but for how long?”

The question came out a whisper, though Celestia could hear the slight waver in the tone.

“What do you mean sunset?”

She prompted softly, earning a sigh.

“I always manage to push people away. I had friends when I was really young, three to be exact but I managed to screw that up somehow! Just like how I screwed up with my aunt and uncle and then the Princess!” Sunset confessed, eyes flashing dangerously as she looked up, though the woman could see the slight tremble in her lip.

 

“Sunset, you were handed a bad card as a child. I understand that but you need to understand that not everyone will turn their backs at the first sign of trouble.” Celestia said before adding “what brought all of this on anyway?”

Sunset sighed and closed her eyes, the images from the previous night’s nightmare played through her mind.

**_“No one cares about a demon.”_ **

**_“Do you think we ever were really your friends?”_ **

“I keep having this dream where everyone just leaves me floating in this black void…Then that… _thing_ starts taunting me. Sometimes the dream changes into something worse…other’s I wake up before it happens.”  Sunset admitted, glancing down before adding “and what people said online isn’t helping.”

 

“What did they say Sunset?”

 

The redhead’s shoulders slumped as soon as she heard that question.

“They overheard my friends and I talking earlier evidently…and they said that I was still that…thing. That I must have used mind control to mooch off someone.” It was only half the truth but Sunset didn’t want to talk about that post, and she just hoped that Luna wouldn’t disclose what she found online either.

“Sunset, that isn’t true and you know it.” Celestia sighed before closing her eyes for a second.

_I know Sunset was outright nasty to other students there for a while but this is uncalled for. I need to try to stop this before it gets any worse. The only reason I couldn’t stop Sunset was because she was as cunning and manipulative as a snake and had a lot of people afraid to tell who was behind what._

Opening her eyes the woman regarded the girl in front of her, taking note of her hunched frame and how she had her head rested in her hands. This wasn’t the same girl who had tried to rule the school, no whatever persona she had adopted during her reign of terror was gone now, replaced by a broken, confused, young woman who had no idea where to go from there.

“Sunset, can you tell me what you would do if you could use magic now?” Celestia asked, suddenly having an idea as to how to approach this topic.

“I-I don’t know. I mean, it would be nice to levitate stuff again so I didn’t have to walk across the room to get a book when I’m studying.” She answered, earning a chuckle.

“So you’d just get lazy?” she teased, earning a hint of a smile.

“I guess so.”

“See, you’re not a monster, you’re Just a regular girl who has struggled to find her place.”

 

Sunset grew quiet as she thought about this, wondering if Principal Celestia could be right.

“How can you be sure?” She questioned after a few minutes only to feel a hand rest along the scars on her back.

“Monsters don’t worry about being a monster nor do they regret what they have done.”

Sunset thought about this, it was true she did regret what she had done. Especially after the blast had made her feel every ounce of emotion she had locked away after coming to the human world.

“What do you think makes me have those nightmares then? I mean in most of them I turn into that demon and….I end up hurting everyone.” Sunset asked, turning her attention toward the woman who’s brow scrunched up in thought at that.

“I don’t know but I know someone who does. If you think you can trust me not to let you get hurt like you did with Discord.”

Celestia knew that this was a big thing to ask, especially after what had happened with Discord however to her surprise Sunset just nodded, her teal eyes boring into Celestia’s.

“I do trust you. More than I ever thought I’d trust anyone.”

 


End file.
